


you are the light

by sakradevi



Series: you are the light [1]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Kiss, Fluff, Holding Hands, Like, M/M, REALLY slow, Slow Burn, brief allusion to sex towards the end but nothing explicit, mademoiselle puts up with so much man, mika is his crow familiar, nothing freaky happens with the crow i swear on my life, shu is a practically immortal witch, they go on adventures and fall in love, you know the drill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:20:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 38,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27157189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sakradevi/pseuds/sakradevi
Summary: “I’m a witch. You’re my familiar. That’s all there is to it.”“Yup! That’s right!”Mika and Shu have a symbiotic relationship: Mika protects Shu from danger, and Shu provides him with a home. They trust each other completely—Shu knows that Mika won’t put him in danger, and Mika knows that Shu won’t hurt him.Shu Itsuki is a near-immortal witch. Mika Kagehira is a familiar. This work follows the development of their relationship from the very beginning through a series of oneshots. It's a collection of snippets into their lives: from strangers, to friends, to lovers.
Relationships: Itsuki Shuu/Kagehira Mika
Series: you are the light [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982311
Comments: 13
Kudos: 61
Collections: Valktober 2020





	1. the warmth told me that you should stay

**Author's Note:**

> title & chapter names from [static by mili](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8duD1MBrBY&ab_channel=Mili) (yes, once again, i am imploring my readers to listen to mili. i should receive a sponsorship deal. i think that would be sweet)
> 
> anyways hello & welcome dear readers to the oneshot that got terribly out of hand because i don't know when to quit. shu's a witch, mika's a familiar that can switch between appearing as a human and as a crow. they do things. they grow closer. they fall in love. 
> 
> this takes place (predominantly) in a forest setting and is written by a person who literally lived in a desert for 20+ years so uh. in other words i don’t know shit about nature but im doin my best alright LOL (shoutout to national geographic you a homie) also while we're on the topic i did so much research on crow behavior for this (shoutout to the cornell website on crows you also a homie). also there were a lot of really sketchy wicca websites i went to it was fun 
> 
> anyways im going to stop talking now you guys already have enough to read
> 
> so uhhhh, enjoy ♥ i put my heart and soul into this for the past three weeks so i hope you enjoy this world as much as i had fun creating it!
> 
> also very very very very big shoutout to [chie](http://archiveofourown.org/users/thesweetsaddict/) for being my go-to when it came to proofreading and bouncing ideas off with. i owe you my life thank you so much for everything this fic really wouldn't be the shape it is now without you :,)
> 
>  **also, important note regarding the M rating:** there is NOTHING EXPLICIT in this fic AT ALL. the rating is there because there is a brief _allusion_ to sex in the final chapter. there is a note at the beginning of the chapter that will give more information--particularly, information about what to skip if you do not want to read that part.

“There he is! Get him!”

“He’s running towards the woods!”

“Don’t let him get away!”

“Quick, somebody catch him!” 

The roar of the mob pursuing him spurred Shu forward, going as fast as his little legs can possibly carry him. Panting heavily, the rain offers no refuge. It tires him out, forcing him to exert more effort than would typically be needed for this kind of escapade. Boots that were slightly too big for him squelch in the mud as a heavy curtain of rain descends on his form. It also doesn't help that visibility is severely limited—he didn’t have enough time to grab a lantern before he found the townspeople armed with pitchforks and torches marching down his street. 

Shu is a wanted man.

Well, that statement is half true. He isn't a man. Though appearing as a human boy, hardly past the age of 11, he is a witch. In truth, he is several decades old. But witches age much, much slower than humans. 

Witches have all the time in the world, after all. Not quite immortal, but they live long enough to the point where their mortality doesn't matter anyway. They don't need to rush growing up.

But Shu does.

It is dangerous to be a witch under normal circumstances. Humans don't—and won't ever—understand the delicacies of magic. Depending on the perspective, magic can be viewed as a shortcut or cheating. To others, it is a way to communicate with the devil and wreak havoc on the mortal world.

But Shu isn't a Satanist. He isn't the devil incarnate. He isn't trying to take the easy way out of life. 

He is just Shu Itsuki, cursed to have been born to witch parents. Parents who abandoned him, leaving him to fend for himself, all alone in this dark world. 

Witches rarely thrive on their own. They require the protection of a coven or a familiar, at the very least. Only under exceptional circumstances are witches able to thrive on their own. 

It takes years of well-tuned practice to control magic, and a lifetime to become a master. Without the guidance of any older witches, mistakes were bound to occur. The exact moment someone in the town realized that _something_ strange was afoot in the Itsuki residence was unclear. Maybe he forgot to close the curtains as he was trying to conjure something. Maybe he was a little _too_ friendly with the local wildlife.

Maybe it was just his demeanor. Ghastly, fragile, almost as if he was perpetually sickly. Maybe that just didn’t sit right with the rest of the town.

Maybe they just didn’t like outcasts. Wanted them gone. Out of sight, out of mind. 

But how he got himself into this situation doesn't matter. What matters is how he's currently backed against a wall metaphorically, trapped in a predicament that could cost him his life.

Once he realized that the townspeople were onto his act, he did the only possible thing he could do:

Ran for his life.

Shu clutches Mademoiselle in his hands and draws her closer to his chest. Hurriedly, he leans over her small doll form to protect her from the harsh weather. He had to protect her. She's the only one he had left. She wouldn’t abandon him. 

What felt like several hours, but was realistically only about forty-five minutes, had passed since Shu escaped his townhouse. The adrenaline that initially propelled his legs forward is weaning—but he couldn’t stop. If he stopped running, he’d be caught and that would be the end of it. Thinking about what these _barbarians_ would do to Mademoiselle once Shu was unable to protect her sent a chilly shudder coursing through his body from the tips of his toes. 

Breath coming and going in short, frantic gasps, he persists. What was once a painful throb in his legs is replaced by a chilling numbness. A small part of him wants to just give it all up—to let himself be taken away by the crowd, to be burnt at the stake as a warning for anyone who dared defy the social norms set by their community and culture. 

Yet, he endures. But running away forever isn't a realistic option. Physically, his body _needs_ to rest at some point. He's a supernatural being, but he isn't superhuman. He's exceptional, but there were limits on this exceptionality. If he doesn't take proper care of his body, it’ll surely crinkle and deteriorate. Any traces of magical power will fizzle out, the body rotting from the inside out.

But the worst thing?

He’d be just like a human. 

If their behavior in this immediate moment was anything to go by, humans are without a doubt disgusting, vile creatures. Hate-filled vermin. Shu wants nothing to do with them. 

Maybe being run out of town by a group of unreasonably angry adults and children has a silver lining after all.

… He just has to make it out of this alive.

But after what appears to be miles of running—especially for such a petite boy—Shu could sense that the woods were near, marking a break in his escape from the mass in pursuit. _Finally, finally, finally._ From the glimpses of thickening brush his limited vision provided him with, the road stemming from the town becomes muddled as it comes up to meet the edge of the forest. The trees would provide cover, a place to hide. Security. As long as he keeps running and makes it there before the mob did then he’d be safe. For now. 

He just had to get there. The woods will protect him. The woods will save him.

Feet quickening, head darting under branches, he is nearly there. The dense overgrowth of the forest, its misty air—practically within his grasp, if he just extends his hand…

“—oof!” 

Though he breaches the tree-lined barrier and officially crosses into the woods, it isn't without disaster. A large puddle—practically invisible due to the lack of moonlight permeating the trees above—pools right in front of him by his feet. The first thing he feels is the cool splash of water against his legs, spilling somewhat into his boot. Then, the next thing he knew he's slipping, landing face-first in the mud. Dirt slides down his face, and he can see Mademoiselle fall out of his grasp, landing a few feet away. Her blue dress, too, becomes soiled with mud and dirt. 

More than anything, he wants to run. To keep going, to take refuge someplace safe. To save himself, to save Mademoiselle. To start over anew. To live.

But the world is cruel and has other plans. His body doesn't allow him to get out of the mud. Like a switch being pressed, it feels like his legs are turned off. They are frozen in place, a tingling sensation coursing through them—likely due to the exertion. Raindrops pelt him as he lay still against the surface of the Earth. Weakly, he extends his arm out and begins to crawl towards Mademoiselle. Inch by inch, fingers digging into the Earth, nails becoming caked in mud.

This is it. The breaking point. 

Tears begin to escape his eyes as a choked scream leaves his mouth. Distinct words aren't audible, but it's a plea. A cry for help. A demand to end this all. All the while, the hostile shouts of the crowd grow louder and louder as they gain on him, rapidly closing the distance between the two. The pounding of the townspeople’s stomping boots against the ground reverberate through his bones and shake him to the core. He doesn't want to, but he's going to. Give it all up. There's no point. He can't be saved. 

They're almost here. 

And then—in what _seems_ like a fever dream but _is surely_ concrete—rescue arrives in the form of a crow squarely at the end of his extended arm. 

Well, he's pretty sure it is a crow. In front of him, there is only darkness. It's pitch black out, and his consciousness is waning fast.

The only light present is the glow of the moon, but it provides little guidance as the trees overhead keep the woods enclosed in a veil of darkness. There is also the crowd’s torches making their way over, the flicker of flames catching in the corner of his eyes. 

Shu stares at the crow, willing his vision to adjust to the darkness so he can make some sense of this peculiar creature in front of him.

He doesn’t have to look at it for long. The bird turns its head and for a second Shu catches a glimmer of gold and blue— the same shade as the morning glories growing by his windowsill back in his townhouse.

As if a spell had been cast on him, he’s mesmerized. By no means does he consider himself an ornithologist, but he's pretty certain crows don't have eyes like _that._ They're _supposed to_ blend into the darkness, not create a world of light around them. 

But this one is special. Normal rules didn’t apply. 

The strange crow ruffles its feathers and skips a couple of steps away from Shu, as if beckoning him to follow it. 

While the bird is creating several feet of space between itself and Shu’s limp body, it’s as if time has come to a halt around him and Mademoiselle. The shouts of the hurdles of people behind him are muted, the exhaustion that was once rampant through his body only seconds ago evaporates into thin air. With a push against the mud as his fingers sink into the wet Earth, Shu manages to push himself upright, knees still digging deep in the puddle. 

Before Shu’s able to return Mademoiselle to her place in his arms a clap of lightning flashes and thunder roars in the sky above him. The strange crow with the mismatched eyes is gone, and in his place a human boy around the same age as Shu appears.

He’s dressed in all black except for a silver key looped on a chain around his neck. A messy mop of dark green hair sits upon his head, quickly becoming drenched with the heavy downpour of rain around them. Though his mouth is clamped shut, his lips are twisted up into a smile. But most striking of all his set of gold and blue eyes, drilling holes into Shu’s mud-stained figure. 

He’s absolutely radiant. 

Out in the woods there isn't a single shred of light, but Shu can see this boy clear as day.

Without taking his eyes off the strange boy, Shu feels around the ground in his immediate vicinity before feeling the fabric of Mademoiselle’s dress. He plucks her up from the ground and cradles her in his arms. Slowly, his mouth involuntarily opens in awe at this boy.

No, not ‘this boy.’ 

His savior.

He wants to know so much more about him. Who he is, what he’s doing, where he comes from, why he’s here now. But before he can will his lips to say _something,_ the strange boy is speaking to him.

“Ya look like yer in needa of a hand. Pretty badly, huh?”

Wow, okay. He _definitely_ didn’t anticipate such a thick accent coming from the boy. In a way, it's charming.

“I—” 

“Nnah, ya don’t have t’bother answerin’ right now. I can see yer in a bit of a pickle,” the boy says, nodding towards the direction of the gang that's chasing him. 

“How did you d—”

“Nnn, does that really matter right now? All that matters is that yer safe ‘n sound. ‘m Mika. 

Shu doesn't know whether or not to trust this strange boy. But, looking back at the violence-craving crowd behind him, it's not like he has much of a choice. With a raised eyebrow, he skeptically eyes the boy before replying, “Shu. And this is Mademoiselle.” 

“Alrighty, you two. ‘s real nice t’meet ya! But we should all probably get goin’, yanno? ‘s kinda dangerous here,” the boy continues. “We don’t really need to spend a lotta time on introductions, ya see.” 

“Because of the impending death looming right behind us?”

“Nah, ‘s more like I get the feelin’ that I’ll be seein’ ya again.” 

Shu gives him a quizzical look as he frowns at the boy’s response. What is that supposed to mean? What, are they supposed to be best friends now or something? And where in the world did that crow go? He wants answers, not more questions.

Mika takes a step forward and leans over Shu, extending his hand out for him. “Well? Are we gonna go? Or d’ya wanna waste away in the mud forever? Those people over there would like that a lot, prolly. But ‘s not really a smart decision. C’mon. Let’s go.”

Shu looks up into Mika’s eyes. Not even a drop of malice rests in them.

With a shaky breath, he clutches Mademoiselle tight in one hand and reaches out his other to grasp Mika’s. At the contact, Mika tightly clasps their hands together. Never letting go. 

Closing his eyes, he feels himself be swept away. In the clutches of this strange boy, the danger is gone. For now, he's safe. Hopefully, it will last. He doesn't know where he was now, but he is out of harm’s way. Mentally and physically, being hunted down by those townspeople was now a thing of the past. Their pitchforks and bright torches were no longer looming behind him, forcing him to keep going, going, going until he couldn’t anymore.

He was never one who preferred the light, anyway. He's always been drawn to the dark.

The atmosphere around him is cold. Somehow, the pouring rain has disappeared and is instead replaced with a cold breeze, sending shivers up his spine. The muffled shouts of the crowd are also gone, leaving only the sound of silence behind. Finally opening his eyes, Shu looks around, only to find himself in the middle of the woods. Mika is nowhere to be found. It’s just him and Mademoiselle alone in the world. 

For the first time that night, the forest is quiet.

* * *

It’s been months— no, maybe a year? Perhaps two? Shu’s not really sure. Keeping track of time isn’t something he usually focuses on. It’s a side effect of having a lifespan that will last several millennia, maybe even longer if he’s not stupid. 

Either way, some time has passed since Shu was literally run out of town. The townspeople probably forgot all about him. He isn't physically present in town to “cause problems” for their quaint little village anymore. It's not like they are actively looking for him. There _probably_ hasn’t been any search parties, and there probably won't ever be. They got rid of him, and in their eyes, that was a success. 

It’s also been a while since he last saw that strange boy and the crow with the same pair of gemstone-like eyes. 

That encounter is still a blur to him—was it real? Did he really meet those two characters, or was that just his eyes playing tricks on him in his frantic, desperate state? 

...No, that’s not right. 

They—he—it— _whatever_ it was, it saved him and Mademoiselle. 

Which means that it's powerful. Magical. Not quite the same as him, but close. After all, if Shu was capable of escaping from that situation as easily as the strange boy took him out of it, then he wouldn’t have been running for his life in the first place.

And he's grateful for being saved. He wouldn’t be here if not for that rescue. 

Once Shu and Mademoiselle got away from the horde of people chasing him, Shu finds himself in the middle of the woods. Night still shrouds his surroundings in near-total darkness. Oh, how he wishes he is the type of witch to be able to conjure fire or light. While it has its uses elsewhere, his weaving magic is of no use right now. Also, that boy and the bird are both nowhere to be seen. He can't rely on him for guidance anymore. Except for Mademoiselle, he is completely, utterly, totally, alone. 

Picking himself up and dusting off the traces of dirt caked onto his clothes, Shu begins to wander aimlessly forward. Clutching Mademoiselle firmly in his arms, he pulls her to his chest. If she is close to him, she’ll be less likely to get battered up even more. 

Branches poke out from above him and he carefully trods over the roots peeking out from below his feet. He has no idea where he is, or where he is going. He plows forward, not having much of a choice.

After several minutes of meandering through the woods, a distinct “kaaa” reverberates, practically ringing in his ears. He can't see whatever bird is making the noise, but it's certainly there. Flying above him, somewhere. Watching over him and Mademoiselle, almost as if it is a sign. Urging him forward, encouraging him. Telling him that he’s nearly there.

 _Where_ that is, though, is a separate question.

One that would be answered as he enters a small clearing. There are no dense trees towering above him, so the moonlight is able to pour into the area freely. Now, he can see the outline of what appears to be a small cottage settled in the center of the clearing. 

Twisting his head around him to get a better view of his surroundings, he doesn't see much else. The muddled path he was walking down comes to an end at the front door of this house. There is no place to go but inside. Besides, it’s not as if he has much of a choice—for the millionth time this night. Outside, it's cold, dark, still _pouring,_ he's wet and muddy and gross, _Mademoiselle i_ s wet and muddy and gross, and he's tired. 

With a sigh at his lack of options, Shu begins to make his way down the final strands of the path. The cottage is dim—it looks abandoned. It's not _falling apart_ per se, but it certainly doesn't look like someone has been living here recently. He’ll have a lot of work to do to fix it up. Upon reaching the front door, Shu hesitantly lifts a hand up, ready to pound on the door in an unspoken request for permission to enter. He can't bring himself to do anything more than a light tap against the door. But that seems to be enough as it opens up for him.

Nothing is visible—somehow, the interior of the cottage is darker than it is in the pitch-black forest. Extending a hand nervously in front of him, Shu begins to blindly feel around in the dark, letting out a sharp yelp as his toe collides with something hard. He sucks in a breath and keeps going until he feels something plush beneath his hands. He doesn't care if it is a bed or a couch, he’ll figure that out tomorrow. For now, he is content to lay down and get some rest. 

He’ll need it.

*~*~*~*~*

The days and nights that come after the initial discovery of the cottage pass by in a blur. The inside of the house is already fully furnished, but it's covered in a thick layer of filth. He spends several days fully cleaning it out and making it livable. 

Once the sun is out and Shu can actually get a good look at the area around the cottage, he notices a small patch of dirt beginning in one half of the front and curving around to the side of the house. The best part is that there already seems to be some vegetables growing. Tomatoes and eggplants—rich in antioxidants. Good. He doesn't have to worry a whole lot about a source of food for the time being. 

Inside, immediately to the right of the doorway is a dining room with a large, dark wooden table and two accompanying chairs and benches. To the left of the table, further back into the cottage is a kitchen, complete with a sink, counter space, an oven, and a stove. There’s also some sort of icebox that keeps food refrigerated, despite the lack of electricity running through the woods. Magic.

To the left of the entrance is a living room with two couches, a coffee table, empty bookshelves next to the fireplace, and a lounge chair. Along the window on the front side of the house are benches attached to the wall, perfect for sitting and reading, the outdoor atmosphere clearly visible.

Finally, behind one of the couches in the living room is a bedroom, complete with a soft, plush bed as well as storage space—a closet, some shelves, and a dresser. Perfect. He’d have places to keep the clothes he’d be making. 

With the most basic concerns out of the way, he can finally work on his magic crafts. More than anything, he needs protection. On his own in the middle of the woods, Shu is probably far from the presence of other witches. He can't remember there being a coven in town, either. He doesn't even have a familiar. This situation is especially dangerous. If the humans from town ever manage to find his secret hideout, he’ll be in big trouble. 

He’s not a fighter, and he’s not an alchemist. He specializes in protection magic but is also able to cast small magical spells through his charms, such as heat charms to keep him warm during the winter. All of his spells are woven through cloth and embroidery—hence, without the ability to sew, he can’t perform magic. In this sense, his magic is more passive than active. He can’t conjure forth creatures or cast fireballs, but he can bring protection and other effects to himself and the area around him. 

Mentally jotting down what he needs to do, he comes up with a list of amulets, talismans, and charms he will have to create from scratch. These are going to take a long time—he certainly has his work cut out for him for the foreseeable future. Thankfully he has a needle, some thread, and several scraps of cloth tucked away in the backpack he managed to grab before being chased out of town. Eventually, he’ll have to sneak back into town to gather more supplies, but this much is sufficient for now. 

But before he can settle down and work on creating protection charms and a barrier around his new home, the movement of _something_ outside his window catches his attention.

Perched atop one of the trees situated outside of the cottage, Shu _swears_ that he can see—if only for a brief moment—a glimmer of yellow and blue. Blinking twice and shaking his head, he focuses his attention on the branches, only to see nothing but the faint glow of the moon illuminating the sky above. 

Whatever it is, it reminds him that he isn't alone here. 

*~*~*~*~*

Eventually, he settles into the cottage. His amulets and barriers are set up around the building’s perimeter and in the woods nearby. This place finally is beginning to feel like a home.

Which leaves Shu where he is in the present moment—scavenging for firewood on the outskirts of his cottage. Thankfully, it is still early in the evening. There are still a couple of hours of daylight left for him to get everything he needs situated. 

He steps off the path, which seems to have run barren of useable firewood. Shu makes his way through the brush, sinking deeper and deeper into the woods, bending down every few steps to add more clumps of firewood to his pile. 

Almost as if it’s against his will, Shu continues to go deeper into the woods. The path he was once on is now no longer visible. All the foliage surrounding him looks the same—it’s unclear if he’s going in circles, or these are sights he hasn’t passed by before. He feels drawn further away from his home, getting closer to the unknown of the deep woods.

All the while, the forest is silent.

The only audible sounds are the crunching of dead leaves and broken off branches beneath his shoes. It’s eerie, unsettling. His skin crawls at the sinking feeling he has in his chest. Something dangerous is nearby, and he's helpless to do nothing but walk right into its grasp. 

To make matters worse, night is quickly falling. 

If he is still in the middle of the woods once it's totally dark out, he’ll be in trouble. He’s also likely out of the range of his protection amulets. He makes a mental note to extend the range of his perimeter in case something weird like _this_ happens again.

He can't control the forest. It's powerful, yet he can't fully understand it. All he can do is his best to keep himself safe from whatever is out there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to snatch him up. 

He can feel his heart rate spiking—the atmosphere is growing dim and he does not have a single clue where he is right now. He doesn’t even know what direction his house is in—the thick brush above him blocks out the precise location of the sun. 

The sudden sound of a wolf howling makes him squeak. All of a sudden, he drops his firewood in a panic and scrambles down to gather it all up again. 

While he’s on his hands and knees, at his most vulnerable, faint sounds in the distance make themselves known.

Whispers in the wind, getting closer until they’re practically ready to close in on him.

The sounds aren’t malicious or evil. They’re not going to bring harm to him.

No—if he pauses and listens closely, he can faintly distinguish the sound of a bird. 

A crow. 

In its own way, the crow’s faint coos of “kaaaaa” reassures him. They exert a soothing presence, willing his ever beating heart to calm down. The sounds let him know that he’s not alone. That there’s someone watching out for him from the shadows. 

Protecting him.

As he finishes picking up all of his firewood, he stills before turning towards the direction where the crow’s sounds are most present. Somehow, he has a feeling that this way will lead him straight home. With tight grasp on his bundle of wood, he takes the first step back to his self-curated safety blanket.

He marches onwards, leaving whatever was drawing him in behind him.

As he goes in the direction of his home, he notices something.

The woods are getting louder. 

Someone is there.

* * *

It’s been at least ten years since Shu last saw that strange boy with the mismatched eyes. The one who saved him all those years ago and brought him to where he was now. 

Mika. 

In human years, Shu looks to be about thirteen years old now. He's more mature and he knows more about the world than he did the last time he encountered that boy. And even though Shu hasn’t seen him since that day, he still remembers him clear as day. A part of him longs to see him again, to hear his charming accent, to get lost in his eyes, to see how he’s grown since then—above all, to solve the mystery that is that boy. 

Why did he show up when he did? Where did he come from? Why Shu? Why did he _leave?_

Shu wants answers. Living in agony over why a boy you met as a child decided to save you from imminent death doesn’t sound like a particularly pleasant way to spend all of eternity. 

Luckily for Shu, his day doesn’t stay too boring. Three sharp knocks rap against the front door of his cottage. Initially, he jumps at the sound, his sewing supplies skittering across the table as he darts his hand towards Mademoiselle to scoop her up into his arms.

He’s never had a visitor before. 

A spark of panic begins to run its course through him. He’s been living here, alone with Mademoiselle, in his cottage for the better part of a decade. He only goes to town on very rare occasions, cloaked in a disguise he’d haphazardly improved over the years and with all sorts of stay-away charms lining his pockets. Every time he leaves the woods for the town he's risking being followed home, for the townspeople to see who he truly is. Even when it comes to putting up protection barriers around his home, he likes to think that he's thorough. Apparently, with this stranger at his doorstep, he isn't. This might _really be the_ end for him.

Three more taps make contact with his door, harder this time. 

His breathing drew faster and faster until the only thing he could hear was the pounding in his chest. Frantically, Shu looks around his cottage. There isn’t a clear line of escape—the windows are tightly shut in case someone was trying to get in. He never thought that he’d be the one stuck inside. 

The hairs on the back of Shu’s neck begin to stand up as he glances around his living room for something, _anything_ he can use to help him in this situation. Sewing scissors? Won't do much, and he’d rather put his body on the line before even thinking about damaging them. They are hard to come by, especially when he lives alone in the middle of the woods.

Some scraps of thinly cut fabric? Making matching friendship bracelets with this _thing_ doesn't seem like the smartest course of action. 

The kitchen knife that is conveniently peeking out from its resting spot on his kitchen counter? 

It will have to do. 

_POUND. POUND. POUND._

The now downright _aggressive_ thumping against his door sends a wave of terror coursing through his body. He feels like he’s suffocating, the walls around him closing in tighter and tighter until he’s trapped with no way out. Backed right into a corner like an animal.

In a panic, Shu rushes over to the kitchen and grabs the knife. Shakily, he turns back around and heads straight towards his front door. 

He'll have to fight whatever—whoever—is right outside his doorstep. 

Gripping Mademoiselle in one hand and the knife in the other, he flings open the door. 

With eyes firmly planted on the person outside his door, Shu’s not sure if he’s feeling shock, anger, fear, or confusion. Probably some sort of a mixture of all four. There’s no way _this_ is happening right now. 

As if he was having a goddamn _fever dream_ , Mika is parked squarely on his welcome mat. His hands are drawn behind his back as his gaze moves downwards to examine both of Shu’s hands, knife resting at his hip. His lips are curled up into a sweet smile. 

“Whatcha got there?” Mika asks as if there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the predicament they’re both in. Charming.

Shu visibly recoils. What the hell is _he_ doing here?

“Uhhh… Mademoiselle?”

“Are ya sure ‘s just Madonee ya got in yer hands there?” Mika adds, raising an eyebrow as he looks back at the knife Shu’s gripping like his life depended on it.

“Wh— Non! Shut up! There’s no need for me to have to explain myself. I’m not doing anything wrong,” Shu responds, shuffling Mademoiselle in his arms to get a better grip on her. “And do not give her ridiculous nicknames. Her name is Mademoiselle first and foremost. She’s a lady, so you need to treat her with the utmost respect.” 

“‘No need’? Yer holdin’ a knife while ‘m jus’ tryin’ t’have a friendly conversation. Sheesh, ‘n this is the thanks I get fer showin’ up for ya all those years ago. Hmph. Oh, ‘n Madonee’s a real cute name. I kinda like it a lot. Suits her. She’s really somethin’!”

“Speaking of which, you… you were the one who saved me all those years ago.” 

“Mhm, that was me! “

Shu cannot figure out what is with this boy for the life of him. Appearing out of nowhere, disappearing without a trace, reappearing when Shu is least expecting it—if Mika is going to try out for the circus, he’ll have little competition with all of these magic acts he's been putting on. Besides, what is with him smiling and acting like they're best friends? Shu doesn’t even know the first thing about him. At the very least, it's clear as day that Mika is also some sort of supernatural being like he is. He hasn't aged a single day in decades. Maybe he's a witch, too. 

Maybe Shu doesn't have to be alone anymore.

No, that's absurd. 

Mika being here, alone with him once again, is dangerous. Shu might be tempted to do something stupid, like try to be his friend. This boy saved him, but that's about as far as their relationship is going to go. Shu has zero desire to grow attached to someone else. The last time he came to be fond of something, he ended up getting chased out, living alone in the woods for ten years. 

Getting close to other people is a slippery slope. He has no interest in traveling down it. 

Which is why Mika needs to get off of his property this instant. 

“Well, you saved me and that was that. Begone. Shoo.” 

All Mika can do in response is give Shu a dumbfounded look. “What?”

“Go away. Must I repeat myself?” 

“Y—ya don’t want me here?” Mika gives Shu a pleading look. Here, in the middle of the day, Mika’s expression is making kicked puppies look _gleeful_ in comparison.

“I don’t even know you.”

“...Really?”

“Yes. We met once in the past but that was it. We don’t have any other association other than just that moment.”

Mika quirks his eyebrow up. They were definitely going to be having an interesting conversation about what Shu just said at some point in the future. 

“Well, ‘m here now yanno.”

“I’m aware. And I would like you to leave.”

“...”

“Go.”

With a sigh, Mika hangs his head low and begins to turn around. “Mmmm, fine. If ya don’t want me then I won’t be a bother for ya anymore…”

Kicking a stray pebble as he walks away, Mika leaves Shu behind without a word.

Biting his lip, Shu can’t help the twang of guilt that eats at his heart. He wasn’t trying to be so mean on purpose. The walls he built around himself are tall, nearly impenetrable—out of necessity. Having someone like Mika sashay back into his life isn’t something he anticipated. 

Ever so slowly, those walls will have to come down.

“Wait!” Shu cries out, quickly setting the knife down on a nearby table before pursuing Mika.

“Nnnh?” Mika turns around, giving Shu a confused stare. “What?”

“I’m… sorry. For treating you like that. I don’t know your story, where you came from or where you went to for so long. So I shouldn’t have been so quick to push you away.”

“Ahhhn, ‘s alright yanno. I forgive ya. Yer sure ‘m not annoyin’ or anythin’?”

“Well, like I said earlier—I truly do not know you well enough to be able to come to any conclusions yet. That being said, from what I’ve gathered so far you don’t seem that bad.”

“After all, you saved us all that time ago! We’re really grateful for you. Shu hasn’t forgotten about that,” Mademoiselle adds, joining in on the conversation with a giggle. 

“Mademoiselle! Hush! Don’t go telling strangers such personal information.”

Mika smiles at hearing Shu’s reassurances and Mademoiselle’s voice. From the start, he sensed a strong, positive energy coming from Shu—Mika's practically drawn to him spiritually. He wants to know more about them. To spend time with them, to laugh with them, to have fun with them. 

To be their friend. 

Mika is roughly the same age as Shu, maybe just a _bit_ younger. Though he isn’t a witch, he still has supernatural abilities. After all, he’s a familiar. 

Perhaps that's why he's drawn to Shu in the first place. He can sense his power a mile away.

But more than anything, a familiar needs a witch. And likewise, a witch needs a familiar.

They were destined to cross paths eventually. 

Mika is going to make sure that happens—after watching Shu live in the woods by himself for the better part of a decade, he eventually came to realize that he was going to have to come to Shu. One of them was going to have to initiate _this,_ and by god, it wasn’t going to be the person who never goes outside.

“Nnnnh, yer welcome! ‘s really no problem, yanno. I was jus’ doin’ the right thing, ‘s all.” 

“Even so, we greatly appreciate it. I hate to think of where we might be if you hadn’t shown up,” Shu concludes. “But anyway, let me repay you now. Come inside and I’ll make us some tea. Perhaps you can answer some questions I have floating around in my mind.”

“Oooh, yeah! Sounds real good t’me!”

“Alright then. Well, come inside.” Shu steps to the side and gestures towards his front door, still left wide open from earlier. 

Mika enters Shu’s cottage and notices how settled in it looks. _Cozy._

Shu follows in behind him and shuts the door with a click. He makes his way over to the kitchen counter where he begins to prepare a kettle. “Feel free to take a seat at the dining table. Don’t mind all the clutter, I was in the middle of creating some charms before you arrived.”

“Alrighty, don’t mind if I do. What’re these for?” Mika inquires as he pulls out a chair and sits down. He picks one of the charms up and twirls it in his hand, getting a good look of the front and back.

“Put that down! You’ll probably damage it and then I’ll have to start all over.”

“Aaah, sorry sorry! M’bad… Was just tryin’ t’get a better look at it cuz it looked pretty cool ‘n all.”

“Hmph. Well, if you must then just ask me. I’ll hold them for you so there’s no risk of them getting damaged,” Shu reasons, setting down two cups of tea on the dining room table. “Now that you’re back, you need to answer some questions for me. 

“Ah, thanks for the tea! I’ll drink it all up!” Mika exclaims, voice trailing off as he picks up a cup and blows on it before taking a sip. “What kinda questions d’ya got fer me? Can’t promise anythin’, though…”

“First, who are you? Second, where did you come from? Third, why did you save me and Mademoiselle on that day so many years ago? Fourth, why are you back and how did you find me? Fifth, what exactly _are you?_ Explain yourself. “

Geez, way to bombard him with questions. Mika is a little bird-brained, so the number of questions overwhelms him. He can feel his head spinning, threatening to make him dizzy.

“Woah, woah, woah, let’s slow down alright? Errr… lemme try t’go in order as best as I can. ‘m Mika Kagehira. I don’t really have a family so that’s not an important question for me t’answer. And I saved ya cuz it looked like ya were in big trouble. Errr,” he starts, counting on his fingers as he goes. “ ‘m back now cuz I got lonely. Ya understand, dont’cha? Y’know, livin’ for like ever an’ all that. An’ yer not too hard t’find. I spotted this place from a mile away. And, uhhh—did I answer all of ‘em? No, wait, there’s one more left… what am I? Well, can’t ya see? ‘m just Mika!” 

This is a lot of information for Shu to take in all at once. Most shocking of all is that Mika found his hideout. He’ll have to go and fix up his barriers soon, in case he gets a far less friendly visitor the next time someone comes knocking.

“Fine. But why did it take you so many years to show up again?”

“Sorry. I just. Disappear sometimes. ‘s m’thing, yanno?” Mika answers after pausing for a moment to tap at his chin. “Don’t like t’be tied down. Bad memories. Don’t wanna get into details ‘bout it right now. But ‘m workin’ on it.” 

Shu nodded in agreement. He relates. Hard.

He takes a sip of tea, bringing the cup up to his lips as he gazes into Mika’s eyes. God, they’re stunning. Looking into them now, he realizes how much he truly missed them. From all other angles, Mika looks like just a regular boy around his age. But from the front, with yellow and blue staring right into Shu, he knows that he’s different.

He can’t put his finger on it, but there’s something special about Mika.

He just knows it.

*~*~*~*~*

At the end of the day, Shu receives some answers. However, their conversation only made more questions come to mind.

But he doesn’t have to rush asking them. He’ll get an answer eventually.

Mika will be back. 

* * *

With Mika being able to shift from human to crow almost in the blink of an eye, it’s as if he’s limitless—there are no restraints, so he can fly almost anywhere as long as it’s reasonable, can visit different corners of the forest, and can have the opportunity to experience a myriad of new experiences.

Like the situation he’s in right now. 

The sun above has gone to rest, and in its place is the full moon, illuminating the forest and bathing the oak trees in a gentle light. The path he travels down is littered with pine cones and acorns—it’s somewhat off of the main path, so the natural sights of the forest are scattered more freely since the natural wanderers keep the main path more broken in. At this moment, Mika is left with nothing but his own human appearance for company. 

That is, until he hears screams in agony coming from nearby.

Without thinking, Mika sprints towards where the sound is coming from, only for the human screams to cut out and morph into howling. Nearing the noise, Mika’s able to catch a glimpse of some sort of transformation. It’s vaguely similar to when he switches between his human and crow form, but this transformation is _raw._ Based on the sounds coming from this creature, it sounds painful. It _looks_ painful, too. With the way the bones are popping into place and changing structure entirely, features deforming themselves until they’re not even recognizable as human, Mika’s glad his transformations only require a burst of light and then the change is over in a flash. 

This transformation is _grotesque._ Macabre, even. 

Soon, what _was_ once a human figure is now a very, _very_ large grey wolf standing in a clearing between the trees. Once in range, the sound of a twig snapping underfoot alerts the wolf to the presence of a visitor nearby. Snapping its head towards the sound, a low growl escapes its throat. 

It’s just a lone wolf. Growling, snarling, showing teeth—all of it is merely a facade; to seem tough and to push everyone away. It doesn’t really want to be alone. It _wants_ to be part of a pack, to be surrounded by others. Not scared, confused, and alone in the middle of the woods at night. Mika can infer that much just through the look in its eye and the way its tail is tucked between its legs. It’s clear that this wolf has been through _something._

Poor thing.

“Hey, hey, ‘s alright. Ya don’t have t’be scared,” Mika comforts, approaching the creature with soft, slow steps as not to frighten it even more. “ ‘m just like ya, after all. Nothin’ t’be ‘fraid of ‘ere.”

At this, the wolf seems to calm down a bit—in the place of rough growls are quiet whimpers as it looks up into Mika’s mismatched eyes, pleading. 

“What’s yer name? ‘m Mika!” Balling his hand into a fist, Mika extends it, letting the wolf sniff it. To show that he’s friendly. No harm will come to it while he’s here. They don’t even know each other, but Mika’s going to look out for this wolf. For the time being, at least. He already has… _someone else._

Carefully, the wolf treads over to Mika, taking in all of Mika’s scent. Then, it lets out a series of quiet whines. Being of a similar nature, they don’t need to be the exact same for them to understand each other. Just being some sort of supernatural being, brought together under the same magic that seems to inherently run through the veins of the forest is enough.

“Nnnh, Koga, eh? Seems fittin’ fer a wolf just like ya. Suits ya well. ‘s nice t’meet ya! Let’s be friends, eheheh~” Mika sings out gently, rubbing alongside the wolf’s head and scratching between his ears. Koga can’t fight the instinct that washes over him, wagging his tail at the attention. 

“So, what’re ya doin’ ‘ere? Ya from the town or somethin’? Never seen ya ‘round these parts before.” 

Koga lets out a low growl in response, communicating with Mika. 

“Oh… yer parents abandoned ya ‘ere? Cuz they found out ya were a werewolf? Yeah, that sucks. Sucks that ya got so unlucky with the genes. Same ‘ere, though. Not the gene part, I mean. The abandoned part. I don’t even know ‘em. Never really did. I remember them a lil’ bit from when I was younger, but not a whole lot. One day they just left. Then it was just me. Me an’ the forest. Guess we got more in common than ya would think."

Letting out a gentle whimper, Koga looks up into Mika's eyes, laying his head in between his paws. 

“But… I found someone. Maybe yer gonna find someone, too. Yanno, to keep ya company. But also, someone that yer gonna wanna protect no matter what. Someone that’s gonna mean a whole lot t’ya. I have my person, but I don’t think they really realize it yet… They’re kinda dumb! But I think everythin’ll work out well fer ya. And—oh! Sorry, ‘m ramblin’ again, aren’t I? Eheheh, ‘s ‘nuff of me speakin’ anyway. Wait, gimme a sec and then ya can go ahead an’ tell me anythin’ and everythin’ ‘bout whatever ya want, alrighty?”

Once enough words have been said, Mika shifts into a crow, a blink of light temporarily illuminating the two. Once he’s a bird, he’s far smaller than Koga. So, he opts to hop right onto his head, roosting almost. 

Perching on the head of his new friend, Mika basks in the moonlight, feathers being illuminated from pitch black to a charcoal shade as he listens to Koga.

The perk of having a crow and human form is that Mika’s bound to have chance encounters with other creatures that are just like him.

Well, maybe not _entirely_ like him. But, they’re close enough. They understand each other, and their paths will inevitably intertwine once again. 

*~*~*~*~*

The months pass by in a blur. Leaves change from being barely there after they fell to the forest floor in winter, to a light green color with flower buds beginning to sprout, to a rich shade of green, all until a palette of vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows are painted across the forest horizon. Suddenly, it’s autumn and Shu hasn’t interacted with Mika since the day he randomly reappeared in his life at the end of last year’s autumn. Just like their first meeting, Mika practically vanished without a trace after further confusing Shu. Seriously, what exactly _was_ his problem?

But no matter—by god, he’ll get to the bottom of this and figure him out even if it’s the last thing he does. Mika is intriguing, an ever-present constant in his mind. After all, although he is more or less alone with Mademoiselle for the better part of the year, Mika’s eyes are always on his mind. 

In this dirty, dark, cruel, human-stained world, the light and joy that was once abundant is gone. Instead, as if plucked from the earth itself, that glimmer of brilliance is stored in Mika’s eyes. 

It’s ironic, really. For a boy whose outfit is black as night, and who only shows himself either at dusk or well into the night, he’s the definition of radiance. 

Perhaps, the boy who lives in the dark is actually the light all along. Like a beacon in the unknown, making himself known to Shu when he’s least expecting it. 

Silently, he’s been wishing for him to appear again.

He wants to see those eyes again.

It’s not like Mika’s gone for good, though.

Sure, he’s somewhat of a cryptid, but he’s _seen_ Mika since then. They don't interact—Mika keeps his distance and Shu doesn't pry. Sometimes, it's in the form of a brief glimpse while Shu was walking in the woods. There Mika would be—a young boy, appearing approximately as old as Shu looked, strolling through the woods as if it was perfectly normal for a child to be this far away from town by himself. A dart of black, sticking out like a sore thumb against the lighter colors of the foliage around him. Other times, while Mika probably thinks he’s being sly, Shu’s seen his black figure peek out from behind the trees surrounding the perimeter of his house. Shy, like a little kid. 

Every so often, Shu would also notice a crow. Perched delicately on top of one of the branches looming over the path into the woods. Never getting too close, the bird is always too far away for Shu to study it in detail, so he isn't sure if it’s the same crow he saw when he was a child. Part of him always thought that _that_ was the true hallucination. Why else would a crow of all things be there?

Nevertheless, the crow’s reliable presence provides Shu with a blanket of security. When it watches over him, he feels as if the dangers lurking in the woods and residing in the town won't dare come close. The crow, always still and purposeful, is almost like the guardian of the little cottage in Shu’s mind. 

It's like it's offering him something.

Protecting him.

Unbeknownst to Shu, however, is how mismatched eyes bore into his form from the distance they rest at. Blending in perfectly with the dark. 

“Hmm~? Shu, you’re distracted. You can’t possibly be thinking that hard about the charm you’re working on. What’s on your mind?” Mademoiselle inquires with an innocent giggle. Shu breaks out of his trance. Apparently, his eyes are focused on the wall directly across from him, rather than the handiwork he’s supposed to be finishing up tonight. More often than not, lately, he’s been distracted with thoughts of Mika. 

“Hmph. You wouldn’t have the slightest clue what I’m thinking of, so do not make frivolous guesses,” Shu retorts, setting down his sewing needle to instead pick up Mademoiselle. “Let us go outside, Mademoiselle. Being stuck inside like this is causing _you_ to be unfocused. You need to get some fresh air, more than I do by far.” 

Stepping outside, he inhales a deep breath of fresh air. The cool October wind chills him, but it’s nothing he can’t handle. 

Deep down, a part of Shu hopes that this will be another evening where he can snatch a glimpse of Mika.

…

He doesn’t actually expect it to happen.

There, nestled halfway behind the tree is the boy born from shadows. selfishly hoarding the light in the world all to himself.

He gives Shu a kind smile and a gentle wave from afar. In that moment, he shares the light. 

Shu is blinded. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello again everyone i hope you enjoyed ~part one~ of this thrilling adventure. if you thought i was joking when i said slow burn oooooh *rubs hands together* just you wait
> 
> also i made a spotify playlist of songs that i thought about a lot while writing this fic, feel free to give it a listen :] 
> 
> [here it is!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4dCxzpDK5crMLa17VhC9Dj?si=rQXTHpPuTsyaSYmaS1c3Bw)
> 
> **EDIT 10/24/2020: There is some art for this fic now!!! Thank you so much[Miiru](https://twitter.com/_takumiiru) I LOVE IT SO SO SO SO SO SOOOO MUCH ♥♥♥!!!**  
>  ****  
> [Drawing of familiar Mika :)](https://twitter.com/_takumiiru/status/1320137909287215104)  
> [Drawing of witch Shu!](https://twitter.com/_takumiiru/status/1320190105567531013)
> 
> **EDIT 10/29/2020:[Sunnwo,](https://twitter.com/its_sunnwo) my life, my love, my joy, drew more art for one of my fics! This time it's the first meeting scene! Please go check it out and support them, it's beautiful!!!**  
>  ****  
> [Shu& Mika first meeting scene](https://twitter.com/its_sunnwo/status/1321941048042704896)  
> \---  
> If you ever draw anything for this fic, PLEASE tag me in it on twitter/dm it to me because i will cry & so i can put it here <3  
> 


	2. so you stayed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> welcome to chapter 2 shu is stupid that's it that's the summary

Today’s the day. 

Shu’s going to befriend a bird. 

If he’s lucky enough, that is.

It’s been decades since he first saw that crow. He is older now, maybe around fifteen or so in human years. His cottage is a home, him and Mademoiselle’s for all eternity (or, until they move out. Or are run out. Whichever comes first—Shu isn’t picky).

 _Except_ for this pesky crow that’s practically been like a co-owner all this time. One that doesn’t pay rent or do any chores, though.

Shu won’t say that he hates the bird. If anything, he finds it comforting. The world around him may change with the seasons, while the animals of the woods die at will—but this crow has been with him for a good portion of his life. Observant. Stable. He can rely on it.

But still, they’ve been playing whatever game it is for far too long. The normalcy of their “we’ll-watch-each other-from-afar” show that they’ve put on is eating him alive. Shu doesn’t want normalcy anymore. He doesn’t want things to stay the way they have been. He’s overtaken by curiosity, wanting to get to the bottom of whatever this weird _thing_ he has going on with this crow is. 

Hands pressed against the edge of his windowsill, he’s looking for the crow. Over the years, he’s become something of an amateur birdwatcher. 

He knows that it’s _intelligent,_ as much as is possible for a bird. It’s used sticks to pick things up or reach into crevices in the trees. It likes to sit in the trees, observing. _What_ it’s looking for is a mystery, but it does like to sit in the trees. It also makes the “kaaaa” sound a lot. It’s endearing. Somehow, the sound always brings a smile to Shu’s face. 

Still, there’s so much he doesn’t know about this bird. It definitely piques a sense of curiosity in him. In general, he’s not an expert on birds, but there’s definitely something strange about the fact that it’s lived this long. If he just had a book or something about crows, maybe he’d be able to figure out if this crow was also some sort of being just like him. But that’s not possible in his current state—he doesn’t have access to a library or anything. He’ll just have to figure this out on his own.

This entire endeavor is forcing him to lean closer to science. So much for being a witch. 

Although Shu hasn’t read any scholarly books on the topic of crow behavior, he’s seen this one particular bird enough times to have a pretty strong sense of how it functions. Books were hard to come by when he was but a young witch holed up in his woodland cottage for most of his time. 

But staying idle doesn’t make any sense to him, especially since absolutely _nothing_ has happened between him and this crow for who knows how long.

Plus, Mademoiselle keeps bugging him to do something. If anything, he’s partially doing this so he doesn’t have to hear her teasing about how he’s always staring out the window, yearning like a young housewife. 

He most definitely is _not._

Yearning, much less for a bird—is she out of her mind? Shu can’t fathom a single reason why she’s come to that conclusion, but he’ll prove her wrong. 

So, without further ado, today’s the day he’s finally going to give in. He’s been preparing for a while. For the past few weeks, his foraging runs have taken longer. Scooping up miscellaneous seeds and nuts, plucking extra berries and stuffing them into his pouch—all for the sake of his upcoming project.

He's going to leave out a handful of morsels for the crow. To test if it even likes them, and to maybe see if he can train it. 

It’s scientific, almost.

He’s not yearning, he’s doing _research_. An experiment. 

After all, if he documents what happens, then he’s got a set of data to work with.

It’s unfortunate for his case against Mademoiselle: having a written record of his science project will still prove that he has some sort of _investment_ in this creature. 

Maybe he _is_ yearning. Not for anything _weird,_ but for a connection with _something_ that’s alive.

He won’t admit it, but…

He’s lonely. 

Furrowing his brow in concentration, Shu carefully grabs a handful of foraged nuts and berries and sprinkles them onto a spare dish. He then takes it in his hands and makes his way to the front of his house, setting it down on the table in front of his window, careful not to drop a single piece. 

Going back inside, Shu plants himself in the middle of his couch, a perfect view of the scene in front of him. Mademoiselle sat squarely by his side, similarly looking towards the window.

Finally, he’s given in to Mademoiselle’s downright _incessant_ taunting. Hopefully, this inquiry into the behavior of this particular crow will make her stop asking such ridiculous questions. 

Staring out his window, he glances around, looking for the silhouette of the crow. He’s not discreet about it at all. 

The forest is quiet. Nothing moves. Not a sound.

He waits.

The sound of his clock ticking fills the silence, never missing a beat.

The clock strikes—an hour has passed. 

He waits some more.

Fidgeting with the blanket curled around his fingers, Shu looks around. The scene looks the same as ever, though. Not a single crow in sight.

The clock strikes again—three hours have passed. 

The waiting never ends. 

Until he knocks out on his couch, the sunshine from the early morning hitting his eyes and sending him a wake-up call.

“Wh—? What happened…?” he asks out loud, letting out a weak yawn and rubbing at his eyes as he refocuses them after being shut for what was probably several hours. 

“You fell asleep, Shu.” 

“What? Oh my… how careless of me,” he adds, voice trailing off in a sleepy haze. “Well? Did anything happen?”

“Look!”

Shu gets up from the couch and makes his way over to the edge of the window. Looking down, he sees the dish he left out. 

There wasn’t a single trace of movement outside his home for the entirety of his observation. 

Strangely, the dish is empty.

*~*~*~*~*

The next time he performs this experiment, he manages to catch a glimpse of the crow as it’s flying away.

But he’s not all that interested in the bird.

What catches his eye is the flash of blue and gold he sees before it scurries away, back into the woods. 

* * *

It’s no secret that Shu has an intricate system of magical barriers placed around the perimeter of his house and along his usual route when he goes into the woods. 

He doesn’t want to be found. 

They’re there so that any human who gets lost in the woods can’t find his cottage. Also, they ward away evil spirits. Alone by himself in the middle of the forest, he does what he has to do to keep him and Mademoiselle safe.

He’s a witch, but he’s not a fighter. With cloth and a sewing needle, he weaves his magic into intricately-woven charms, amulets, and talismans. His magic is mostly used for protective purposes, generally for devils, demons, and other dangerous beings that lurked in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to snap him up like prey. Humans, too, were a target of his protective seals. He hasn’t forgotten what they _did_ to him when he was a child. They’re the reason why he’s here in the woods, anyway.

Well, actually…

That isn’t entirely true. 

It’s because of _Mika_ that Shu’s out here in the woods. He was the one who saved him, after all. 

They’ve seen each other on and off, here and there around the outskirts of his cottage. They’ve exchanged a few conversations. Mika’s always smiling around him. And he loves to wave a friendly hello to Mademoiselle when he sees her, too. 

Shu likes it when Mika’s around. It’s been so long since he’s been in the company of another person, so he’s not used to it quite yet. But it feels so _good._ Merely being in the presence of someone else makes him feel connected with others, even if they’re not the closest of friends. 

Still, he doesn’t want to be found.

But a part of him _does._

Only by a certain person, though.

Which is _maybe_ the reason why he’s currently pulling down one of the charms he has hanging on the edge of his roof. Balancing himself on a stool, he extends a hand skyward, fingers just barely reaching the end of it. Delicately, he loops it off of the hook and climbs down from the stool. 

“There we go. All done now,” Shu mumbles, gently setting down the amulet on the table. With this one piece gone, it’s as if there’s a hole in the barrier itself. He’s not completely vulnerable, but he’s definitely in a far more dangerous position than he would be if he kept it in place. An evil spirit that knows what they’re doing would be able to sniff out this gap in an instant. He knows it’s risky, but his desire to have a _special visitor_ outweighed his sense of rationality. “What do you think, Mademoiselle?”

“I think you’re making a bad decision. You should put it back.”

He _knows_ she’s right. 

“I will… just.. I’m just going to leave it down for a little while.”

“I can’t protect you, you know.”

“I know.”

“And don’t you want to protect me?”

“I do! I am! I will never let anyone lay a finger on you, I promise that.”

“Well… I trust you, Shu. But I also trust you to make the right decision.”

“I won’t let any harm come to you.”

With a sigh, he picks her up and holds her in his arms, comforting her. He gently strokes her hair as he looks out his window, looking to see if he has any visitors. 

He weakens the barrier near his house, in a selfish wish that a certain someone might stop by for a visit. Maybe now Mika might come and visit him.

Little does he know, his barriers do work. They keep everything out.

Except for Mika. 

*~*~*~*~*

The next day, when Shu steps out onto his porch, he’s greeted by two violet gemstones placed on his outdoor table. He picks one up in his hand, inspecting it all over. They’re not identical in shape—neither of them are perfect circles, and one is far lumpier than the other. But they’re the same shade as his eyes. 

He didn’t put them there.

*~*~*~*~*

The day after that, Mika appears from behind a cluster of bushes while Shu’s in the middle of picking mushrooms for a stew. 

“Yer barrier’s a lil’ broken, yanno?”

Shu nearly falls over from his crouching position on the forest floor. In a spurt of shock, his hands flail and he knocks his basket over, mushrooms spilling everywhere. It’s just his luck.

Turning, he looks Mika in the eye. Seething with annoyance, he clenches his hand into a fist before crawling over to where his mushrooms landed. “Kagehira. Must you interrupt me? Can’t you see that I’m in the middle of something important?”

“Mnnnhh, yeah. I can see that yer doin’ somethin’. But I think puttin’ yer barrier back up inta place‘s a lot more important than playin’ in the dirt with some ‘shrooms.” 

“I’m not _playing._ I’m trying to get tonight’s dinner ready. I’m making a stew, so I needed fresh mushrooms.” Shu retorts, setting his once-again full basket of mushrooms down against the ground harder than was necessary. “How do you know my barrier’s down? Have you been spying on my house?”

“Nahhhh, I wouldn’t call it snoopin’ or anythin’ like that. But I might’a saw a bird go an’ drop some rocks over on the table right outsida yer house there.”

Shu can feel his heart sinking.

Oh.

So it _wasn’t_ Mika who went and left those gems. He went and got his hopes up for no reason, only to have them be torn to shreds in a single sentence. 

Trying not to let Mika see how much he’s hurting at hearing indirectly admit that he wasn’t the one who left those gems in front of his house, he tries to reply but his train of thoughts, which have slid completely off track, take him elsewhere. 

… So if it wasn’t Mika that left those gems behind, who could it— 

His expression pales as the realization dawns upon him. 

It had to be that _damn_ _crow._ There’s no other possible explanation.

He wants to break something.

Oh god, wait, does this mean…

Does he have a secret admirer?

… Is his secret admirer _a crow?_

No, no, no, no, no—there’s no possible way. HARD pass. 

He never really thought about himself as attractive or anything. Especially not by… crow standards. Whatever those entailed.

But… it makes sense. After all, this crow is practically _obsessed_ with him—from always seeming to be near Shu in some way, to eating up the meal he carefully prepared for him… 

Everything checks out.

Oh god. 

How in the _world_ is he supposed to deal with this? Not even the most well-versed scholars or masters of arcane magic would be able to advise him in this situation.

By god, a _bird_ has fallen in love with him.

And here he is. Not even five minutes ago, his biggest concern was whether or not he’d find the most delectable-looking mushrooms for tonight’s dinner.

Now, he’s worried about some random bird with a crush on him. 

Shaking his head, he fights the urge to scream out loud. He does _not_ have the time for this right now. He has to deal with Mika, and immediately go and fix his barrier so that this freaky bird stays as far away from him as possible. One emotional crisis at a time, please.

“You… you saw a bird?”

“Mhm, saw a bird.”

“Was it an evil spirit? Or a demon?” 

“Mmm, nah. Don’t think so.”

Phew, that was a relief.

“Alright. Can you tell me where exactly you saw it?”

“Yup! It was in the window of yer house. Saw my reflection when I was puttin’ somethin’ on yer table. ‘s a real nice table, by the way. Walnut, real pretty color.” 

Realization smacks him right across the forehead at mach five speed.

“ _You’re_ the bird.” 

* * *

For the longest time _,_ Mademoiselle doesn’t leave Shu alone about how he truly thought—for at least a minute—that a bird was in love with him. In retrospect, he _knows_ that that was utterly ridiculous. Not to mention plain weird. 

Even he’s not sure why he came to that conclusion. It was probably just his brain going wild. Feral, almost. After all, he’s been living by himself for—a few decades? Maybe fifty years now? The exact number of years that he’s called the cottage home escapes his memory, but it’s been a while. Of course being without someone around his age to spend time with for the better part of half a century is going to have a strange effect on his social development..

But… it’s good that he has Mika now. They were friends, weren’t they?

Shu liked to think of them as friends. Although he’s not entirely sure what being “friends” entails. He doesn’t have a whole lot of experience in the whole social life department, living in the woods and all. 

Are… Are Mika and him “friends”? 

They spend time together, they make jokes with one another (even if Mika gets on his nerves sometimes. He can’t stay too mad, though, since he probably does the same to Mika), and not to mention Mika was the one responsible for saving his life. Whether or not they’re friends is unclear in Shu’s mind, but he can say with certainty that Mika doesn’t _hate_ him. 

Probably.

Mademoiselle, though, is definitely his friend. She’s always there for him, like when she comforts him even when he’s struggling to get a particularly tricky enchantment just right. She’s never lied to him in the entire time he’s known her—and frankly, she has no reason to. She reminds him to take care of himself, even if it means calling him out on his _bullshit_ directly to his face (see: lowering his barrier in hopes of a certain someone coming by for a chat). And by far, Shu does all of these things for her as well. Protecting her from harm, giving her a home, listening to her, and taking good care of her—these were all things Shu does for her, no questions asked. 

They’re family, after all. 

And the more he thinks about it, maybe, just maybe—he’d like to have a bigger family.

Not now, of course. In human years, he’s about fifteen at the most. It’s hard to tell due to how his aging works, but he’s nothing more than a teenager. 

Still, it’s a thought that comes to grace his mind every once in a while. He’s not opposed to expanding his inner circle, even if just by a little bit over a long period of time. 

But for now, he just needs to focus on the present. In the microcosm of his cottage and the woods marking the immediate vicinity, he had some charms that he needed to replace. Besides, it was getting colder out. He had to make a new winter coat, since his last one had torn on a branch as he was walking in the woods. Plus, Mademoiselle needed a new one, too. It’s been a while since he last made her something nice for the cold winter. A blue and gold dress would be a nice look on her, especially to accent the coat he had in mind for himself. 

He’ll have to go into town to pick up some more supplies to add the finishing touches, but he has enough scraps of fabric leftover from his last project to work with for now. Since it’s a winter dress, he’ll put a heat charm on it so the bitter sting of the cold won’t be too unbearable once it comes around. 

As he’s stitching a pattern of warm, yellow sunflowers into the hem of the dress he’s working on, excess cerulean cloth pooling across his lap, he smiles fondly as he recalls Mika’s smiling face. Thinking about him and the warmth he radiates never fails to bring a smile to Shu’s face. 

Silence takes hold in Shu’s living room as he’s focused on the dress. His work was always beautiful—there is simply no other way to describe it. Every intricate detail, each stitch, every roll of thread he’s ever incorporated into his magical crafts show his dedication and his talent. He has a gift, and he’s great at using it. All of his clothes, charms, and other hand-crafted items come from a place of love, and it’s apparent even to an untrained eye.

He’s so focused on his creation that the sound of someone approaching his front porch doesn’t immediately alert him. 

After who knows how many decades of playing cat-and-mouse, Mika knocks on the door of Shu’s cottage.

It’s quiet. Hardly audible. 

Good thing Shu’s a good listener. 

Shu doesn’t have to even get up to open the door. Shu knows who he is. 

Crow boy. 

“Come in,” he calls, not eyes not moving a single inch from the fabric and needle they’re focused on. 

With that, Mika turns the door and pushes it open. It’s not locked—Mika’s shown up here before, unannounced. It’s become somewhat of a routine, and now they’re both at the point where it’s almost expected to be a regular occurrence. 

Shu doesn’t even ask what he wants. There’s no need to rush things. They have all the time in the world.

Mika, now fully inside of Shu’s cottage, removes his shoes at the front entrance and makes his way over to the living room. He takes up residence on one of the vacant seats, his dark form emitting a completely different energy over the once vibrant red chaise. Drawing his knees up to his chest, hands wrapping tightly around his legs, protecting them almost. Just watching Shu focus on his work is enough to make Mika feel relaxed, like he’s at home. 

Shu continues sewing. Turning the fabric in his hand, he begins to add more sunflowers on the other side of the dress. Once he’s finished, he holds it up in front of him, Mika’s kind expression comforting him, as if he’s silently congratulating all of his hard work.

It’s in that moment, with the dress and Mika’s face at the same horizontal distance, that Shu realizes he subconsciously matched his handicraft to be the same shade as Mika’s eyes. 

Warmth creeps into his chest at the acknowledgment, and an unfamiliar beating takes root in his ears. He bites the inside of his cheek as he tries to navigate these new sensations. He likes Mika. He’s a welcome presence in his house, even though he won’t admit it to anyone but himself. 

_Yeah,_ he rationalizes to himself. _That must be it. I want him to be my friend so badly, that my subconscious has made me think about things I associate with him—blue and gold, the color of his eyes. This explanation makes sense, now that I think about it._

Tilting his head from side to side, Shu tries to get a better look at the dress. Specifically, to see if he’s enchanted it properly. It’s been a while since he’s tried to weave a heat spell into a piece of clothing.

Mika perks up as Shu holds it closer to him, wordlessly urging him to share what’s on his mind. 

“Uwaaah, it looks really cool! I like the colors a lot, they’re really pretty. They’ll look real good on Madonee, too. ‘m sure of it.” 

“Thank you. I like the colors too.” Shu replies, voice trailing off as he breaks eye contact with Mika to instead stare at the books he has piled up on the coffee table in front of him. _They remind me of you,_ is what a part of him wants to add, but an even stronger part prevents him from voicing that thought out loud.

“Yer really skilled at makin’ clothes ‘n stuff, huh?” Mika asks, head tilted to the side while grinning up at Shu. “Yanno, since yer such a master at all these handicrafts ‘n all, I’d like t’learn from ya one day. Maybe not the magic part. But just plain ol’ sewing would be pretty cool, I think.”

“Well, of course I’m good at sewing. My magic revolves around weaving, so if I couldn’t sew I’d be powerless,” he explains with a small sigh. He appreciates the compliment, but it’s true—it wasn’t his _talent,_ it was his _power._ “But if you insist, then I suppose I can make some time to give you an introductory lesson.” 

“Really? Yay! ‘m gonna look forward to it with everythin’ I have in me! Ehehe~”

“Likewise. But do not make too many mistakes, or else my patience will rapidly deteriorate. And then I won’t have time to work on the things I actually need to do.” 

“Mmnnh, I won’t make any mistakes at all! Pinky promise!” Mika yelps in excitement. “Yeah! From now on, since yer gonna be my mentor when it comes t’sewin’ an’ all sorts of other stuff, prolly, ‘m gonna go ahead an’ start callin’ ya Oshi-san!”

“...”

“What? ‘s the truth, yanno… Do ya not like it?”

“... No. It’s fine. I just didn’t expect to hear something like that, so I’m a little caught off guard. That’s all.”

He’s never had someone give him a nickname before. It feels strange… as if they’re on good terms. Like they’re close.

Maybe they are friends, after all. 

*~*~*~*~*

The two of them lay in silence for a longer period. Eventually, Shu takes a break from working on Mademoiselle’s dress to instead reconstruct some older charms that had natural tears in them. 

Mika leans his chin on his knees as he watches Shu masterfully repair the torn stitches, purple traces of his magic flowing into the cloth as he threads the needle. 

“Maybe one day I could come with ya and help ya put ‘em up. Wouldn’t that be big fun?”

“No. You’d just mess around and I’d be too inattentive to get any work done.”

“Boo, no fun allowed with ya. Are ya suuuure? What if I promise t’be real good?”

“Yes. Now stop distracting me—I’ve given you an answer.”

“Mmmnnnh, fine. I’ll win ya over one day. ‘m sure of it.”

“Pest,” Shu responds lightheartedly. They’re just joking. Playing with each other. Light banter.

It’s what friends do. 

*~*~*~*~*

The hours pass, the ticking of the grandfather clock in the background like a metronome. 

Shu doesn’t hear Mika get up from the couch and make his way to the front door.

He _does_ hear the sound of a distant “kaaa”, his eyes fast enough to catch just a glimpse of the flap of wings out of the corner of his eye.

* * *

Ever since Mika’s begun to make his place in Shu’s cottage, things around his house have been different.

For starters, Mika loves to pester him with things he finds in the woods and brings just for him. Shu’s the lucky recipient of all sorts of forest goodies—pebbles, rocks, pinecones, acorns, shells from the riverbank, leaves, and even flowers. Shu’s favorite item is a rose. It’s served as the basis of many of his designs in recent times. Since it wilts so rapidly, though, Mika’s always quick to bring him more. It’s like a weekly tradition, almost.

Of course, Shu keeps all of them. 

Other times, it’s in the form of Mika trespassing onto his property while he’s in crow form. 

Well, trespass is a strong word. It’s more accurate to say that Mika acts like a bodyguard.

For Shu’s vegetable garden. 

The summer is coming to an end. It isn't exceptionally brutal—it's a typical sticky, humid, and unbearably moist summer. Still, the weather doesn’t stop all sorts of little critters from trying to steal snippets of the eggplants and tomatoes he’s growing in the garden patch along the side of his house. 

Because in actuality, it’s Mika.

Throughout the summer, Mika can be found perched atop the hat of the makeshift scarecrow that loiters in the center of Shu’s garden. It’s _ugly._ For someone whose magic revolves around creating intricate patterns and designing beautiful cloth, Mika would assume that he’d have a better sense of style when it came to dressing up scarecrows.

For god’s sake, it has a pumpkin for a head. Who does that?

The scarecrow is adorned in the most _hideous_ excuse for a flannel Mika’s ever had the (mis)fortune of laying his eyes upon. The straw stuffed inside of it is at least fully tucked in—perfectly in character for Shu, keeping everything tidy and organized. Not a hair—no, not a straw sticking out of place. However, the inner padding of the scarecrow is lumpy in all the worst ways. It makes Mika shiver. He doesn’t want to lay his eyes on it if he can help it.

Which is why he takes up residence atop its floppy straw hat. From this vantage point, he has an excellent view of the modest amount of vegetables Shu’s growing. He can also see the path that leads into the woods—and by extension, he has a perfect view of anyone who might happen to spy on the cottage or stumble within the perimeter.

So, yeah. Mika basically _is_ Shu’s bodyguard. While he’s on watch, there’s never been an incident.

Well, not a _lethal_ one, that is. There have been times where he’s had to chase off some bunnies who hopped in and decided to nibble at the leaves of his tomato plants. Lethal to the state of Shu’s vegetable garden, but in the grand scheme of things? It could have been worse. A malicious spirit could’ve wandered in and might have been hungry for more than vegetables that were high in antioxidants. 

It’s a good thing that Mika never falls asleep while he’s “on duty.” 

Often times, Mika takes up residence on top of the scarecrow’s hat while Shu’s sleeping during the day. Typically when he’s taking an afternoon catnap to catch up on the sleep he missed by staying up late into the night, working on one project or another and failing to take a break for his own wellbeing. Mika can’t _force_ him to sleep at proper times or anything like that, but what he can do is offer a sense of comfort and peace while he rests. There’s no need to worry about an ambush or any other kind of danger when Mika’s there.

On other occasions, however, Mika watches over the cottage while Shu’s awake. When Shu is running low on fabric, thread, or he needs to replace some of his sewing tools, he has to run to town. Thankfully, all of the people who initially chased him into the woods have died. Such is the human lifespan. Still, he doesn’t particularly enjoy going to town since it brings up bad memories for him. He’s always nervous someone will recognize him—particularly since he ages so slowly, still looking like a teenager after at least a century and a half. 

The only redeeming quality about the town is a local patisserie, a hole-in-the-wall shop nestled around the corner of the town’s bustling plaza. Though the ownership has changed over the years, it’s a family-run shop so the recipe hasn’t budged. He can still remember the first bite he took of one of their croissants, the taste so delicious that he just couldn’t get enough of it. Here he was, a century later, still enjoying the same delights every time he’s obligated to visit the town.

He brings some samples back for Mika, too, of course. He’s come to learn through trial and error that Mika prefers sweet things, so while he sticks to eating warm and fluffy croissants for himself, Mika gets treated to candy. 

Sometimes, though, Shu doesn’t stray too far from the cottage. There are times when he’ll go down to the river and wash his clothes, or he’ll be out walking around the forest to see if there’s any demonic activity he needs to prepare for. While Shu’s occupied with those activities, the cottage—and Mademoiselle—are left alone under Mika’s watchful eye. 

But no matter how far or how close Shu is to his home, or whether or not he’s conscious, he’s safe.

Mika protects his crops.

Mika protects his home.

Mika protects his family.

Mika protects him. 

* * *

It all happened so fast.

So fast, that in the blink of an eye Shu was left all alone with a sewing needle in hand, the slam of the front door practically shaking the whole cottage.

_Shit._

Not even ten minutes ago, the two of them were sitting at the dining table, Mademoiselle next to them, seated in her new high chair—Shu had just spent all weekend crafting it out in the yard. Making good on his earlier promise to Mika, Shu was teaching him how to sew. Just the basics, nothing too complicated. It isn't that hard, really.

Which is easy for him to say—having centuries of experience does that to a person. 

Mika, on the other hand, who didn’t necessarily have the most precise motor skills to begin with, struggled. 

“Non! Not like that. You’re doing it wrong.”

“Nnnah, ‘m sorry. ‘m tryin’ my hardest, ‘s just not somethin’ that ’m all that used ta, yanno…”

“Whether you’re used to it or not doesn’t matter—what _matters_ is that I’ve shown you how to do this stitch at least six times, and you’re still making the exact same mistake.”

“Nnnh, sorry Oshi-san. ‘m gonna try t’do it again, alrighty?”

“Fine. I do hope you’ll show a semblance of improvement at the very least.”

Not incredibly encouraged, Mika picks up from where he left off.

“Useless. Utterly useless.” 

Pouting, Mika ignores the comment and continues to try and thread the needle. Shu’s remark hurt, but he could simply shrug it off. 

Shu looks over at Mika’s work again, shaking his head as Mika still isn't getting it right. His patience is wearing thin. Nothing is more annoying than having to repeat yourself over and over again.

“Kagehira. What did I _just_ tell you to do?”

Startled at the sudden interjection, the needle slips in Mika’s hands, fumbling until he accidentally pricks himself. A small drop of blood begins to gush out of the wound.

“Ow!”

“Great, you can’t even keep the needle away from dirtying your hands. You’ve made a mess now. Goodness.”

Mika can’t believe what he’s hearing—is Shu being serious right now? Unbelievable!

Slamming the cloth and needle on the table, his injured finger unattended to, Mika’s had enough.

“Yer bein’ _really_ mean t’me right now, yanno? I know ‘m not any good at this kinda stuff, but the least ya could do is be—I dunno—helpful? Encouraging? ‘s that too much ta ask of ya? Clearly!”

Having spat that out, Mika storms out of the cottage, the door slamming shut behind him. Visible from the window is the fluttering of a crow taking off towards the skies.

“Oh. Shit.”

Having realized his mistakes way too late, guilt and dread gnaw at his chest. 

_Oh no. Oh no—I’ve ruined our relationship for good, there’s no way he’ll ever come back or talk to me again,_ Shu thinks to himself. _No—there’s still time. I can fix this._

_Somehow._

_I hope._

Hurriedly grabbing a lantern but forgetting to grab a jacket, Shu’s out the door and running into the woods after Mika.

*~*~*~*~*

The forest is silent.

Well, the forest is _usually_ silent, save for the intermittent chatter of birds, or the leafy trees blowing in the wind.

Now, the forest is exceptionally loud.

At the base of the tallest oak tree for miles lays Koga, the silver werewolf who comes into the forest with a tall, dark, boy from time to time. Almost literally barking up a storm. 

In his wolf form, his sense of smell is incredible, so once he caught the faintest whiff of his old friend Mika in distress, he had to rush to his aid. Besides, he can _hear_ him from a mile away. Whatever happened, it wasn’t good if it had set him off this badly. The trail of Mika’s scent ends right at the foot of the tallest oak tree for miles. And though his eyesight isn't fantastic, he knew Mika just has to be above somewhere.

Which leaves him where he is now—not quite literally barking up a storm, but he’s getting pretty damn close. 

“Wanko. What is all the fuss about?”

Not answering the question, the sound of loud barks and howls fill the air instead. 

Looking up, the teenager with long black hair spots a crow. Perching at the top of the tree, feathers flaring up. Koga’s reacting strongly to whoever this bird might be.

Fortunately, the person accompanying Koga is a vampire. He can see clearly in the dark, almost as if the dark is his own version of the light. Looking up, he’s able to get a better view of the bird. For him, the shine of two bright, mismatched eyes stands out like a beacon on the crow’s all-black body. 

_Ah._ The vampire understands now. 

“Oh my. You’re not an ordinary forest crow up there. How interesting.”

Looking down at Koga, his ears pushed down and eyes pleading almost, he and the strange crow above seem to have some sort of connection. 

“Wanko, it seems you two have met before. You’ll have to catch me up on that tale once we return to the town.” 

“Kagehira!” A voice comes from not too far away. Far enough where the source isn’t visible, but close enough for it to be heard faintly. 

“Hm? Is someone coming? That’s our cue to leave, then. Come, Wanko.” Looking up, the mysterious character gives a knowing smile to the upset, cawing bird above. “We’ll meet again.” 

Walking at a languishing pace, the vampire and werewolf duo disappear beyond the tree into the woods, heading towards the direction of the town.

*~*~*~*~*

Mika’s out here somewhere. Shu can _hear_ him.

But for fuck’s sake—he’s a black bird. The sun’s already set, so even if Mika was a different color he’d still be difficult to spot. Shu’s a supernatural being, but it’s not like his eyesight is superhuman. 

“Kagehira? Kagehira, where are you?” He calls out, cupping a hand around his mouth to make the sound travel further. 

Frantically, he continues to dash down the path into the forest, eyes peeled for any sort of movement in the trees 

“Kagehira?”

Almost as if by chance, the lantern he’s holding catches the glimmer of _something_ in the trees.

Something with bright blue and gold eyes.

“Kagehira! I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Come down here.” Shu calls out, stopping himself at the base of the tree Mika’s perched at. Looking up, there aren't many branches or knots in the bark that Shu can use as leverage to climb—and even if he _could_ climb it, Mika’s at least thirty feet above the ground. In general, the oak trees that compose most of the forest are tall, but Mika seems to have parked himself on the tallest tree in a ten-mile radius.

Of _course_ he did.

All that Shu receives in response is a series of very rowdy “kaaaaa”’s. If Mika was in his human form right now, he’d surely be pouting. Despite his usual wishy-washy conscience, right now he’s firm, standing his ground—er, branch. 

“Kagehira—I can see you up there!”

Cue more upset crow noises.

“Kagehira! I didn’t mean it!”

The crow noises don’t stop.

Pounding his fist against the tree as if to emphasize his words, Shu continues to yell up into the darkness. 

“I’m sorry!”

If Mika could speak right now, he’d probably be saying something along the lines of “fuck you.” 

And though all Shu hears is the sound of a bird screaming, the message is clear.

“I wasn’t trying to snap at you—I was just exasperated. It’s not your fault at all, really! I should have been the one to have better control over my emotions!”

The loud bird shrieks continue, except they’re softer now. Mika’s tail is fanned out while the feathers on the back of his neck are standing up straight. Defensive.

“Well, if you don’t want to talk right now I understand. And I understand that you’re angry. I would be angry, too, if our positions were reversed.” Turning around and sliding down until he’s seated with his back against the tree, Shu sighs and cradles his knees in his arms. “Really. I’m sorry.”

Mika’s hearing when he’s a human is average. As a crow, however, his senses are sharpened and he can hear even the quietest sounds. Like the quiet huff Shu makes as he’s slumped down. And the apology he makes.

And though his enhanced hearing doesn’t give him any other powers, the sincerity in Shu’s voice is as clear as the night sky above. 

Mika really wishes Shu wouldn’t be so hard on him. He was trying his best—it’s not his fault that some things are harder for him to grasp, even if they come naturally to Shu. 

“I’ll be right here. Let’s talk when you’re ready. Okay?” Giving Mika his space and his own time, Shu lets the lantern out of his grasp, setting it down beside him. Everything is dark except for the small light flickering nearby. 

So, while he lets Mika calm down above, he sits. Folds his arms across his chest. And waits. And sits some more. Until eventually he falls unconscious, alone in the woods at night.

Except Mika’s watching over him. Literally. 

Having cooled down after enough alone time, Mika’s finally ready to go back to Shu. Though it’s still dark out, Mika’s able to find some sticks and stones that he thinks look cool. Picking them up in his beak, they’re left in a small pile in front of Shu. 

Once the dawn filters in through the trees, Shu’s eyes slowly open to find Mika sitting nearby on a tree stump, grooming his feathers as if everything’s normal.

“Kagehira?”

At hearing Shu’s voice, black feathers turn into black clothing as Mika shifts from being a crow into his human form. 

“Kagehira, I—”

“Nnnh, lemme go first.”

“No, really I—”

“I got some things t’say too, so ya better listen up real close,” he begins, not giving Shu much of a choice. “ ‘m real sorry fer overreactin’. Lookin’ back, it wasn’t _that_ big of a thing t’get mad ‘bout. My feelin’s were hurt, sure, but we coulda talked it out I think. Instead of me runnin’ away and makin’ everythin’ worse.”

“But wait, I have things I need to tell you as well. From the bottom of my heart, I apologize for how I behaved. I didn’t consider your feelings—I got swept up in the heat of the moment. It was never my intention to hurt you, I can just be rather snappy when I’m irritated. Going forward, I’m going to try to not let my feelings get the best of me. I’m going to put my best foot forward in being more careful and considerate. I recognize that you’re still new to this, so I need to try my hardest to understand that of course you’ll be making mistakes. I’m going to try to be more patient from now on.”

Clenching his fist together at his side, he adds, “I just want to be the best version of myself for you.”

Mika’s eyes widen in shock. “Wh—huh? Whaddya mean? Jus’ now, I can tell that yer already the best version of yerself fer me. Yer speakin’ from the heart. Yer not tryin’ t’hurt me—that I can tell. An’ yanno what? That’s all that matters.”

“I—right. I suppose you’re right.”

“Mhm, always am~” he teases gently.

“Don’t let it get to your head.” Shu jabs playfully, a small smile spreading across his face. 

“Ehehe, so we’re good now, right?”

“Yes, we’re all good.”

“Yay! ‘m really glad. ‘s hard t’stay mad at ya fer so long.”

“... I understand. It’s hard for me to be mad at you, too.”

“Well, that’s reassurin’. Anyway, look ‘ere. I got ya some cool lookin’ rocks and sticks I found while ya were out cold.” Pointing to the ground in front of him, Mika’s true to his word as the pile of forest treasures hasn’t moved an inch.

“Wow. Kagehira, I—” Shu begins, reaching over to pick up a rock and twist it in his fingers, inspecting it. He puts a handful in his pocket but continues to roll one of the rocks in his palm. “This is so thoughtful of you. Thank you.” 

“ ‘m real glad. ‘s funny, I always have the urge to find ya some nice rocks an’ stuff whenever I see ‘em on the ground. Hope it doesn’t bother ya.”

“No, it doesn’t bother me at all. They’re nice to look at. Perhaps I should start up a collection.”

“Yeah! That’d be real cool—like yer own museum. One that we worked on together. I like it!”

Shu smiles fondly at Mika. He could get behind the idea of having a little display shelf or something for all the treasures they find together. The woods were so big—there were so many things for them to find. Maybe one day they’ll do just that; a room full of their safest and fondest memories. 

“Well, we should prolly get goin’. Ya look like ya need a bath. Yanno, sleepin’ in the dirt an’ all.” Mika chides, giving Shu a smirk. Shu looks down at himself, brushing a clump of dirt off the bottom of his pants. Once Shu’s finished, Mika extends his hand out for Shu to grab, pulling him up off the forest floor. 

“You’re right. Let’s go.” Walking side by side, the tallest tree in their part of the forest is left behind them. 

And so, together they go—home. 

* * *

The forest is dark, deep, and heart-wrenchingly cruel. 

Shu’s gotten himself lost. During his most recent visit to the town, he overheard some elderly men chatting about a witch that lived up in the northeast corner of the woods. Shu’s cottage was located in the southwestern area of the forest, so they couldn’t be referring to him unless they were _really_ bad with directions.

Fueled by a desire to find more people, even just _someone_ who was just like him, Shu haphazardly decided that he’d set out looking for this famed witch in two days’ time. 

“Shu, I don’t think this is a very good idea,” Mademoiselle tells him as he's in the middle of packing a sandwich and a bundle of matches into his bag.

“Nonsense. What’s the worst that could happen? I can't find them? In that case, I’ll just come back home and forget about it.”

“I don’t know, Shu…”

Fast forward a day and the outlook still isn’t looking great for Shu. Checking his pocket watch, the hands tell him that it was nearly midnight. 

This is bad. It isn't wise to be alone in an unfamiliar part of the woods, much less being alone in the middle of the night.

He could be eaten up at any second now. No one ever knows what’s lurking in the darkness for sure.

Until it’s too late.

Trudging forward, Shu keeps his resolve. He’s spent the past twelve hours walking through the woods with a few short breaks interspersed; but, he’s come too far to give up now. Surely, the witch’s house can’t be too far away.

The moonlight filters in through the leaves overhead in blotchy patches, leaving gaps in his vision. He extends his lantern out further in front of him, willing the tiny light to give him just a little bit _more._

“Curse this thing.” With a frown, he gives the lantern a small jostle, trying to spur some more light to emit itself. His attempts are futile. In all of its dim glory, the lantern doesn’t budge one bit. He’s left with a limited line of sight in front of him.

Whatever shred of luck he had when hearing about a mysterious witch living on the other side of the woods is utterly torn to pieces when a particularly ominous gust of wind shakes him to his core and turns off his lantern. 

There wasn’t much oil left in the lantern before it went out, but he didn’t have much of a choice. Squatting down, Shu twists his pack around and rummages through it, using his fingers to feel around for matches. He can’t seem to find any—he must have already sued the last one up. His luck has run out. Dry as a bone.

“Damn it!” he cries out in frustration, to no one in particular.

As if responding, the wind only blows harder. 

Shu can _hear_ the sound of wind-tossed leaves weakly bumping against his shoes. He can _smell_ the freshly turned soil in the forest as the crisp November air brings the scent directly to him. He can _feel_ himself losing any semblance of sanity he had before becoming totally, unequivocally, lost.

What he _can’t_ do, however, is see anything. 

With a sigh, he gets up and readjusts his pack. Dusting himself off, he blindly continues down the path, hands feeling around in front of him for _something._

The path Shu walks along now is far outside of the perimeter of his protection barriers. He’s wandered probably miles from his home. Without a map, he’s lost. The stars are obscured by the leafy trees over him, so he can’t even use him as a guide to orient himself. 

He fights the urge to cry. It’s like everything in the world is against him—he doesn’t fit in with humans, so he’s forcibly exiled to the woods to live like a hermit for _ever and ever,_ he finally hears about someone just like him, and he can’t even _find_ them.

As tears begin to prick at the corners of his eyes and his vision becomes ever so slightly blurred, he sees a light.

It’s not right in front of him, but it doesn’t look far. It’s further down the path. If he hurries, he can catch it.

So he runs. 

As he’s running towards it, the light flickers. He feels a sense of dread set in—if this light, too, goes out, then he’ll be alone in the dark. He’s running deeper and deeper into the forest, the trees above him growing thicker, blocking out the moon completely. 

The sound of dead leaves crunching under his feet crinkle with every step. He pulls his coat closer against his body, wishing that he wasn’t so dumb to have forgotten to wear the coat with the seal of illumination embroidered on the inside. The November air is unforgiving as it practically closes in on him, the wind nipping at his nose.

Ever so quietly, the sound of something walking along the path behind him is audible. Bushes rustle, a twig snaps. It’s not the wind.

They must be the forest critters. Just checking in on him. 

They themselves aren’t inherently harmful. But they have the effect of filling him with terror at whatever might be following him in the dark. Encouraging him to get closer to the light. 

The light welcomes their assistance. 

They help the light trap its prey, after all. And in exchange, the light swears to protect them from harm. 

The forest critters don’t get eaten up by the light, but Shu just might. 

He keeps running, running, running, until it’s been fifteen minutes and the light isn’t any closer. If anything, the light looks _duller._

Shu’s made a huge mistake. 

Frantic, he turns around, ready to sprint in the opposite direction. Before he can take a single step forward, _something_ wraps its hand around Shu’s upper arm and drags him into a bush off the path.

“Wh—!”

“Nnnh, Oshi-san, don’t run back.” 

“Kagehira?! What on _earth_ are you doing here at this hour?”

“I could say the same thing t’you. What d’ya think yer doin’?”

“I was looking for a witch. I heard a rumor that there’s someone like me who lives in this area of the woods. I just don’t know exactly where.” He explains, matter-of-factly. He didn’t _plan_ on getting lost and not finding what he was looking for. 

“... So ya decided t’just walk randomly about, hopin’ that ya’d see ‘em?”

“... More or less. I didn’t plan on it ending up like this.”

“Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid Oshi-san! Yer an idiot! Ya weren’t thinkin’ at all! What if ya got hurt an’ I wasn’t here t’save ya? What if ya ran backward an’ I wasn’t watchin’? What then?” Mika cries out, emotion overflowing in his voice. It’s the first time Shu’s ever heard him so worked up. He feels a twang of guilt tug at his heart. It was never his intention to make the people he cares about so worried. He was just so desperate to find someone like him.

“Kagehira, I—” 

“That’s how they trap ya, yanno? The light yer followin’. ‘s not actually a light. ‘s just an illusion, created by an evil spirit. They make ya panic an’ frantic, like by blowin’ yer light out. Then they try t’help ya. They get ya so hooked on goin’ towards them, like yer relyin’ on them fer yer life. So, once ya eventually give up outta frustration, they get ya. They snap ya up when yer at yer most vulnerable. When ya think yer runnin’ away from the danger, ‘s actually gainin’ on ya.

“So, that’s the reason why ‘m upset. ‘m scared, too. I don’t wanna lose ya.”

“I’m sorry. I—I really never intended to make you feel this way,” Shu apologizes, quietly. “I didn’t think about how my selfish actions would affect others.” 

“... I accept yer apology. But yer gonna have t’be more careful in the future.”

“Thank you, Kagehira. I will. But anyways—How did you know where to find me?”

“ ‘s easy. ‘m always lookin’ out fer ya,” Mika answers. “Cuz yer always doin’ dumb things, like runnin’ inta the deep part of the woods at one in the mornin’.”

Shu lifts a finger and opens his mouth to retort, but stops himself. Mika’s not wrong. 

“Anyway, there’s no point in stayin’ ‘ere any longer.” With that, Mika shifts into a crow. Though Shu can hardly see it, his vision is someone acclimated to the dark. He can see wings sprout out, feathers black as night coursing throughout his body. 

Shu understands, letting Mika sit upon his shoulder. Like magic, they’re in the air and Mika’s taking him home. 

Replacing the howling wind is the sound of Mika ‘s “kaaaa” filling the air.

*~*~*~*~*

As Mika’s carrying him back home, Shu reflects on this experience.

He thinks that he might have been looking in the wrong place for someone who cared about him. 

*~*~*~*~*

It’s a lesser-known fact of the world that things come to us when the time is right.

Failed manifestation attempts prove this—good things don’t come to those who wait and will them into existence; they come at precisely the right moment. 

Mika appearing when Shu needed it the most, like an angel, isn’t a chance encounter.

It was going to happen eventually. 

Coming for Shu in his darkest hour, without fail.

Mika is the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reikoga cameo? REIKOGA CAMEO
> 
> also mika really was out here grillin' shu's scarecrow. he did that he really did


	3. interlace our threads, with the fate in our hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> bold of you to assume shu couldn't get any stupider

“Kagehira. What are we?”

Hand stilling mid-page flip, Mika looks up from his book and eyes him. Shu’s already set his needlework down, but his hands are uncharacteristically fiddling with a spool of thread. With Shu’s usual confident, bordering arrogant, ambiance replaced with a sense of nervousness, Mika cocks his head to the side and furrows his eyebrows.

“That’s comin’ outta the blue. Whaddya mean, ‘what’re we?’”

“You’re not here at the cottage all of the time, but you’re here enough for me to ask you. Are you my housemate or something?”

Huh.

Does Shu  _ seriously _ not know?

Setting his book down onto the cushion beside him, Mika internally prepares for what will either be a hilarious conversation that they’ll look back on in a hundred years and laugh at, or a slightly uncomfortable one that will have Shu remembering it vividly in embarrassment for centuries while he’s trying to fall asleep. It’ll probably be the latter.

“... Ya don’t know already?”

“Well, of course I ‘don’t know.’ If I did, I wouldn’t be asking you a question. What are you talking about, anyway? What exactly do I not know? Speak more precisely.”

“ ’m yer familiar!”

What.

Shu’s known Mika for probably a hundred and fifty years at least, but this is the first he’s hearing of it. Could this be some sort of weird joke? Mika  _ did  _ have a somewhat strange sense of humor. 

“What?”

“Yeah! Yer familiar. ‘s me.”

Under normal circumstances, witches don’t get to pick and choose who their familiar is, let alone what type of animal it is or what type of magical powers it has. Familiars won’t line themselves up in front of a witch in need and let the witch point at the one they want. Nor can a witch walk into an animal shelter and pick a cute one out of a box. If a witch wanted a  _ pet, _ however, then that was alright. But there’s a very fine line between a familiar and a pet.

Familiars aren’t just random animals attached to a witch. They’re creatures of their own volition; they’re independent beings with free will. Familiars have lives of their own, but they’re closely linked to their witch in the form of a spiritual connection. Some witches think of this connection in terms of fate or destiny, but the intricacies of a witch-familiar bond are rarely that simple. 

Mika and Shu have a symbiotic relationship: Mika protects Shu from danger, and Shu provides him with a home. They trust each other completely—Shu knows that Mika won’t put him in danger, and Mika knows that Shu won’t hurt him. 

The role of the familiar is to protect—it’s why Mika’s always watching over him and his home. It’s why Mika was there to save him during that initial encounter. They have a spiritual bond with the other, even though Shu’s  _ dense _ and doesn’t realize it until a literal century and a half later. 

“I heard you the first time. What do you mean, you’re my familiar?”

“Well, a familiar is someone who—”

“No, I know what a familiar is. Since when have  _ you _ been _ my _ familiar?”

“Oh, I dunno… prolly since a lil’ bit before I went an’ came t’yer house that first time. Remember? When ya almost tried t’stab me? Seriously, ‘m still kinda mad about that.”

Oh, Shu  _ definitely  _ remembered. That night gave him such a fright—he honestly thought he was going to die or something. When he saw Mika at his front door, however, he was relieved. 

Except now, whatever relief Mika gave him that night is transforming into grief. He rests his palm against his forehead and shakes his head. Closing his eyes, he takes a few deep breaths to collect his thoughts.

“Yes,  _ of course _ I remember. But really, being my familiar all this time... you didn’t think to tell me?”

“I thought ya already knew!”

“How in the  _ world _ was I supposed to know? You never told me!”

“It was obvious!”

“No it wasn’t! We never sat down and had a formal contract or anything.”

“Geez, how old’re ya really? No witch’s done contracts with their familiar, fer like, I dunno, since m’grandpa’s days, prolly.”

“Well,  _ excuse me _ for having slightly outdated values and expectations.”

“Nnnah. But seriously— ‘m always ‘round yer house. Ya didn’t stop an’ think fer a  _ second _ that maybe somethin’ was kinda off?”

“Not at all. I thought you were just clingy,” Shu remarks with a scoff. “For over a hundred and fifty years.”

“Well, I guess, ‘s not wrong. ‘m a familiar after all. ‘s kinda what we do.”

“I can see that now,” Shu adds, voice dripping with dismay. He’s not actually  _ that _ mad at Mika; if anything, he’s more upset at himself for being so dense. For not realizing after over a century and a half that he had a familiar. Goodness, what a failure of a witch he was.

Mika, sensing Shu’s unease, offers comfort in this clearly trying time. “ ‘s alright, yanno. ‘m not mad at ya or anythin’. I was just kinda shocked that ya didn’t realize.”

“... It’s fine. At least my question is resolved,” he declares. “I’m a witch. You’re my familiar. That’s all there is to it.”

“Yup! That’s right!” 

And as abruptly as the conversation began, it came to an end. Shu returns to his needlework, and Mika opens up his book to the page he folded the corner of. 

*~*~*~*~*

Twenty minutes pass in silence until Shu cuts through it with a question.

“Well, should we make a formalized pact?”

“Now? Isn’t it sorta late fer that?”

“No, not right now. And it’s better late than never, isn’t it? Creating one after so long is harmless, anyway.”

“If that’s what ya want, then sure. ‘m not opposed t’doin’ it. Whatever makes ya satisfied.”

“Alright. Give me a few days so I can prepare something.”

*~*~*~*~*

“... So that’s it?”

On the table in front of them lay a document, formally declaring that Shu Itsuki and Mika Kagehira had a witch-familiar relationship. To seal the contract and make it official, Mika offered one of his crow feathers. Shu embroidered a strip of cloth with a charm that would promote a stronger sense of camaraderie between them. 

Plucking up the document from the table, Shu rolls it up tightly and ties the fabric around it, keeping it closed. As a finishing touch, the black feather is stuck in between the cloth and the paper, acting as a physical connection between Shu and the contract that binds them together. 

“Yup, seems like it. Now since that’s in writin’, seems all real an’ stuff. I was yer familiar for a while but now ‘s official. Yer m’witch!”

“Alright. Now  _ I _ can say that you’re  _ my _ familiar. I look forward to our partnership together.”

“Yeah! Let’s do our best!”

*~*~*~*~*

Shu’s always wanted a bigger family.

He has one now. 

* * *

Finally, Shu and Mika have managed to sneak into town for a much-needed supply run.

Well, they didn’t necessarily  _ sneak in. _ Since they live so long, the townspeople are likely to catch on to the fact that they’re not normal. After all, while the townsfolk age at a normal, human rate, Shu and Mika can go the entirety of a human lifespan without looking much different, if at all.

So, Shu’s passive magic comes in handy during situations like these, where being recognized by humans could put their lives in danger. Wrapped around their wrists are two cloth bracelets—memory loss charms. They’re enchanted with a spell that makes humans forget all about the wearer once they leave their line of sight. So, these bracelets allow Shu and Mika to enter the town, gather their supplies, and leave back into the woods without the townsfolk batting an eye.

In the center of town lies a bustling and inviting plaza, complete with artisan shops around the perimeter and an outdoor market in the center. In Mika’s shopping bags are rolls of exquisite, high-quality fabric and spools of thread. Shu needed these in order to perform magic, and he wasn’t a weaver so buying them from a merchant in town was the only way for him to acquire these items. Additionally, in one of Mika’s hands is a warm, chocolate-filled croissant. They just came from Shu’s favorite local bakery, the sound of the bell ringing when the door opens and closes faintly audible in the background as they approach the outdoor market. Shu’s brought home pastries from this particular store for Mika before, but nothing compares to when they’re fresh. When Mika accompanies Shu to town—as is customary now that their partnership is official—Shu makes sure to treat Mika to a freshly-baked croissant. The beam that comes from Mika as he smiles, sinking his teeth into the bread, is worth the expense. 

“Mmm, ‘s soooooo good! Thanks a bunch!” Mika cheers excitedly, wiping a crumb from his face with the back of his hand.

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re able to eat them fresh—they’re heavenly.” 

“Yup yup, I love ‘em lots!” Once he’s finished eating, he grips the handle of the bags tightly. “Hey, look, we’re almost at the market. Are ya gonna be okay with the crowd?”

“... There’s no helping it. We  _ do _ need some meat and cheeses.” Letting out a sigh, the crowd is as busy as ever—it’s not a large town by any means, but it certainly feels like every resident of the town has decided to be present in the plaza at this very minute. “Let’s go, Kagehira. The faster we get in to buy our things, the faster we can leave.”

“Mmmkay! Whatever makes ya feel at ease. Let’s go!”

Right as they’re on the edge of the market, mere steps from entering the chaos of the crowd, a silver-haired teenage boy that appears to be about their age spots them. He looks rough around the edges, just like a tough guy. Someone who looks like he might start a fight any minute—for fun. Amber eyes staring down at the pair, he sniffs the air before darting through a series of pedestrians. 

“Oi! You two!” 

Hearing the shout, Shu and Mika turn their attention to their side only to be met by a random teenager practically sprinting towards them. “Who is  _ that?!” _

To Mika, something about this boy is off. He’s never seen him in his life, but somehow… he’s familiar. 

Wait.

The silver hair.

The gleam of light shining in his amber eyes.

They’ve met before. 

But before Mika has the chance to say anything, he and Shu are grabbed, being dragged by the wrists away from the bustling market and instead down the cobblestone path. This boy pulls them through numerous twists and turns, heading down unfamiliar alley after unfamiliar alley.

“What is going on? Who are you? Where are you taking us? Unhand us this instant!” Shu cries out, feeling panic set in. 

“Nnnah, nah, ‘s fine! We don’t have anythin’ t’worry ‘bout. He’s a friend.” Mika reassures him. It’s true— _ Koga’s _ never done him any harm before. 

“You  _ know _ this buffoon? Since when?”

“ ‘s a long story. We met a long time ago and we see each other every so often. I have a life of my own, too, yanno.” Mika replies, closing an eye and sticking out his tongue towards Shu.

“Whatever. You’ll tell me all about it later, I’m sure.”

“ ‘Course I will.”

With an exceptionally rough tug, the trio turns the corner, stepping out from the alley onto a different cobblestone path, lined with houses on either side. Away from the town center and instead in a more residential area, there are very few people lining the streets. Truly, it’s as if all the residents of the town were currently congregating in the plaza, shopping. 

Continuing down the street, Koga marches them in front of a tall, particularly undistinguished, three-story house. It looks comfortable—Victorian style with olive paint and dark brown trim. The curtains are drawn on all the windows, so neither Shu nor Mika is able to get a peek into the home. Once they’re up the stairs and on the front porch of the house, the strange boy lets releases them from his vice to take out a key from his pocket. Shu, leaning over, catches a quick glimpse of a purple bat on the handle of the key. Before long, the key is being shoved into the lock, turning and opening the door with a click. 

“We’re here.”

Outside, the house looks similar enough to the rest of the houses on the street; nothing strange is cause for immediate concern. Stepping in, the inside of it also looks ordinary.

Except for the piles upon piles of books on arcane magic, what appears to be an intricately drawn summoning circle on the wooden floor immediately to their right, some sort of an aquarium to their left, and a cage of white doves against the back wall. Most unsettling, though, is the large, black coffin lying in the center of the room near a cozy, rustic fireplace. 

Oh god, they’ve made a mistake. 

They needed to get out of here.

“Kagehira, we should—”

Sensing the panic in Shu’s voice, Mika turns to face him and gives his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Nnnh, seriously. Ya don’t have anythin’ t’worry about. Yer gonna be safe ‘ere, promise.”

“... Though if ‘m gonna be honest, even  _ I  _ didn’t know the inside of this house looked like this. Makes me feel real good about our own place, though! Hehe. Yer not allowed t’complain ‘bout me bein’ untidy anymore, got it?”

“I suppose there’s a silver lining to everything,” Shu replies, deadpanning as he rubs his finger along the dark grey walls inside. Dust comes off and sticks to his finger. Disgusting. 

The silver-haired boy walks forward, leaving Shu and Mika to wait for further  _ instruction _ near the front door. 

“Wake up, ya vampire bastard. We don’t have all day to wait for your lazy ass to get out of bed.” Walking up to the coffin, he gives it a kick. “Get up. C’mon. Ya got guests here.”

Good god, what was going on in this strange place? What a dysfunctional household.

With a creak, the doors of the coffin begin to open before they’re roughly opened up all the way. Out of the coffin emerges a tall boy, appearing as about the same age as Shu. Holding his hand over his mouth as he yawns, he rises from his resting position and steps out of the coffin. Looking at Shu and Mika, deep red eyes stand out in comparison to his pale features. Skin so white it’s almost sickly.

Slowly, the mysterious coffin dweller approaches the two waiting near the front door. Making eye contact with Mika, and seeing a pair of blue and gold eyes up close, he understands.

“Ah, it’s you two again. What brings you to our home today?”

“Again? We’ve never met before. This is the first time in my life I’ve ever seen you. And it was  _ him _ over there who practically dragged us here.” Shu speaks up, pointing at Koga who’s lounging on the couch with his arms stretching out across the back and one leg resting on his knee. 

“Oh, Wanko. Wonderful. It seems you’ve brought a nice meal for me tonight.”

“A  _ what.” _

“I jest. I won’t be feasting tonight. Well, not on you two, at least. The taste of witch and familiar blood isn’t to my liking. But do feel free to make yourselves at home. I get the feeling we’ll be working very closely together in the future. My name is Rei Sakuma. That over there is Koga Oogami. You are free to call him Wanko.” Rei introduces. A loud groan coming from where Koga’s seated can be heard in the background, followed by some incomprehensible mumbles and curses. 

Shu was taken aback by the boy’s comments. For someone who he’s never interacted with before, he knew  _ waaay  _ too much. It’s unsettling at the very least.

“... Sure. Anyway, I’m Shu Itsuki. And this is my familiar.” Turning to Mika, he nods his head in the direction of Rei.

“Yup! ‘m Mika Kagehira. Koga’s m’friend, hehe.”

“Yes, I’ve heard all about you before through him.” Rei chides. “I’m glad you two have been able to get along so well.”

“Mhm! Yup, he’s real nice. I didn’t see him fer a while, though, so I was gettin’ kinda worried. Glad t’see him again and know that he’s alright, though!”

At that, Rei just smiles. “Good. Now, come on in, will you? Please, I invite you to take a seat on our sofa. Wanko, go and bring out some honey milk for our guests.” 

“Ah, it’s fine, really—”

“You are our guests and will be treated as such.” 

Getting up from the couch, Koga walks to the back end of the room, turning the corner to presumably what Shu assumes is the kitchen area. Shu and Mika shrug their shoes off, leaving them and their shopping bags by the door while the sounds of shuffling coming from the back room fill the air. 

Hesitantly, Shu takes a seat on the sofa, running his fingers over the velvet cushions. Not too long after, Mika joins him and sits right next to him, pulling a pillow into his arms to hold. 

“So, are you two a witch and familiar pair as well?”

“Fufu. Our relationship is more like a master and pet.”

“I’m not your goddamn puppy! Shaddup!” Koga all but barks out at Rei, walking in with a tray and glasses of what Shu infers is honey milk. Setting it on the coffee table for Shu and Mika to take, he then sits next to Rei. Almost immediately, Rei wraps his arm around Koga’s shoulder, pulling him close. Koga’s eyes immediately look away, but he doesn’t recoil at the contact. 

“I jest. We have a sort of…  _ partnership, _ if you will. I’ll spare you the details for now.” Rei explains, bringing his hand up to card his fingers in Koga’s hair. Stroking him just like a dog. “To keep it simple, I am a vampire and dear Wanko here is a werewolf.” 

So far, this situation is harmless. Strange, for sure, but Shu doesn’t feel like he or Mika is in any immediate danger. 

“Okay… Well, how do you know  _ me, _ then? Kagehira and I hardly leave the boundaries of the forest. We’re only out in town today because we were running low on some desperately-needed supplies.” Shu explains, eyes darting towards the direction of the shopping bags left near the front door. 

“We go into the forest some nights, yes. I have to take my dog out for walks. He gets rowdy.”

In the background, there’s audible groaning coming from Koga. But his face tells a different story, as he’s practically keening at the touches to his hair. 

“So… wait a minute. You must be the forest witch I’ve heard rumors of before, correct?”

“It’s possible. I have somewhat of a strange reputation in this town, I’m sure.” Rei replies, pausing as a spaced-out expression takes root. “Actually now that I think about it, everyone in this house does. We’re all a bit eccentric in our own way.”

“There are others?”

“Yes. There’s a water spirit who takes the form of a dragon occasionally. His human lover lives here, too. Normally humans are banned from this place under any circumstance, but this one… is oblivious, to say the least, so he’s fine. There’s also our two magicians. They’re out on some sort of trip together. Practicing magic or something—I am unaware of the details. The younger one is an apprentice. He’s rather disorganized if you couldn’t tell that already from all the books and the summoning circle over there. It’s alright though—he’s more or less like our adoptive son, if you will.

“You see, we’ve all come together because we’re different in some way. You understand—you’re no different from us at all. And while I know that you have your home out in the woods, you’re welcome here anytime. Even as just a visitor. Perhaps as a friend.” 

“I see.” 

Honestly? Shu likes that. Shu  _ really _ likes the idea of that. The last time he went looking for someone just like him, he nearly died. So, for him to have a safe place to congregate with like-minded people? Yeah. He likes that. He’ll definitely be back.

“Thank you for inviting us into your home. We should probably be taking our leave by now. We still have some shopping to do before we head back to our home.”

“Goodbye for now. I’m sure we’ll see each other again. Shu.”

“And you as well, Rei.”

Rising up from the couch, Shu and Mika make their way to the front door, slipping on their shoes and picking up their shopping bags. Shu gives Rei a gentle smile, and Mika gives a friendly wave goodbye to Koga.

“Cya soon!” 

*~*~*~*~*

“What an unexpected detour.”

“Mmm, fer sure! I didn’t realize I’d see Koga out ‘ere in the town, but I did somehow… Was really shockin’, but ‘m super glad! He’s really nice, yanno. Even though he’s gotta real tough exterior. He’s a big softie.” Mika sings out, clutching the bags closer to his chest. “But we should prolly go an’ hurry up with our shoppin’. ‘s been a while, so the market’s prolly cleared up a bit. ‘s not shoppin’ rush hour anymore, I hope.”

“You’re probably right. Let’s head back to the plaza and finish this all up, I’m dying to go home and get some alone time.” Shu sighs out, mentally preparing himself for the massive crowd he’ll likely have to endure anyways. “But… still. I’m glad, somehow. Knowing that we’re not alone out here. That we have… friends. Of course, you’ll always be by my side. so I’ll never truly be alone. The existence of these so-called ‘eccentrics’ proves it, and having you solidifies it.” 

* * *

The cottage isn’t the same to Shu anymore.

Nothing  _ bad _ has happened—it’s not like he’s a victim of a burglary, or Mademoiselle’s gotten hurt, or he’s lost his favorite pair of socks. And luckily, none of those eccentrics have randomly shown up.  _ That _ would certainly be a situation.

It’s just that life is now different.

Mika and Shu have entered a routine. Now that Mika is  _ officially _ his familiar, he stops at the cottage more often. Mika’s mere presence exerts a calming effect over him—he feels safe around him, even if Mika isn’t doing more than laying with his head on the dining table while he’s diligently sewing.

This time, a gentle rapping against his front door disturbs him from his work. Opening the door, he unsurprisingly finds no other than Mika.

There he is, rosy cheeks framing the smile on his face. Getting on his tiptoes, Mika peers over Shu’s shoulder, trying to get a better look inside his house. “I like yer couch. Looks comfy. Can I come in? ‘m real tired. ‘s been a long day. Wanna go ‘n take a nap.” 

Shu wants to say something snarky—he’s seen this couch thousands of times. He’s seen Shu sit on it. Hell, Mika’s  _ fallen asleep _ on it, resulting in Shu draping a blanket over him after he’s knocked himself out so he doesn’t get cold. 

What? From Shu’s incredibly limited knowledge of crow biology, he  _ assumes  _ they’re probably sensitive to cold weather.

He also just wants to make sure that Mika’s safe and warm while in his care.

But he likes the first rationale better.

Without waiting for Shu to answer verbally, Mika waltzes past Shu into the cottage.

Apparently, they’re now at the point in their relationship where Mika can just walk in like he owns the place.

Shu lets him. 

*~*~*~*~*

“Ka ka ka!” Shu exclaims, holding up a blanket with an intricate rose pattern embroidered in the center for Mika and Mademoiselle to admire. He’s spent  _ weeks _ on this piece, much to Mika’s dismay as he was constantly urging him to take a break and  _ for the love of god, get some rest. _

“What do you think?”

Mika eyes the blanket up and down, leaning closer to it from his position on the opposite end of the table to get a better look. From up close, the amount of detail put into it is breathtaking. The blanket is a soft baby blue color with the rose petals being a vibrant violet. Specks of gold thread outline the thorns. It’s beautiful—no words can truly encapsulate how amazing it looks.

“I love it! Looks so pretty,” Mika sings out. “I like the colors a lot. They’re real soft, an’ they make me feel pretty happy all ‘round!”

Shu’s eyes practically smiled at the compliment. A lot of effort was put into selecting the palette for this blanket, so it felt good to have his color choice be acknowledged. 

“Thank you, Kagehira. I’m glad you like it.”

“Did ya enchant it this time?”

“I did. This blanket has a heat charm—it makes whoever’s wearing it feel comfortably warm. It’s perfect for the upcoming winter.”

“Uwah! That’s so cool! I wonder if I’ll get t’try it out sometime, eheheh…”

“We’ll see about that.”

*~*~*~*~*

To nobody’s surprise, Shu finds himself draping the rose blanket over Mika’s sleeping form later that night.

* * *

“Corvus. Come.”

Shu’s planted firmly on his porch, his arm extended for Mika. He can’t see him, but he knows he’s out there. Mika never goes too far away—even if they’re not exactly in the other’s presence all the time, he’s never more than a firm shout away. Luckily for Shu, Mika’s only sitting in one of the trees around the perimeter of the cottage. Like a dog who’s been trained, Mika flies in and lands on his arm, bounding up the length to rest on Shu’s shoulder. The sound of Mika’s “kaaa” pierces the hum of the autumn wind blowing around them. 

“Good.” Reaching up, Shu pets the top of Mika’s feathery head with two fingers. In response, Mika nuzzles up against Shu’s cheek, eyes closing as he does so. His feathers are soft and silky to the touch—Shu can never keep his hands off of him while he’s in crow form. 

Shu never considered himself a bird person until Mika became his familiar. Since then, he couldn’t help but notice all sorts of details he’d previously overlooked. For example, he likes to take bird baths early in the morning. Shu’s set up a small stone pond with water on the side of the house just for Mika to bathe in, coating his feathers with water and cleaning out the down. The way Mika wiggles his tail when he’s finished and in the process of drying off is the cutest thing. 

And as much as Shu loves to watch Mika, learning more about the boy, things between them are changing. They’re older now. It’s been a couple of hundred years at  _ least _ . Shu’s grown up and matured quite a lot. Still, even though he was centuries old, he looked  _ and _ acted like a typical seventeen-year-old boy—always thinking he’s better than everyone else, mood swings, and not to mention a roller coaster of new feelings for those around him.

Particularly, Mika. 

He’s not quite sure what it is, since he’s never experienced a similar sensation before. It was like a feeling of fondness. But… it was different. He’s always been fond of Mademoiselle; after all, she’s his family and closest friend. But ever since Mika showed up and became his familiar, his feelings have been confusing, to say the least. 

He  _ likes _ Mika. That he can say with certainty. 

But if asked to describe what  _ liking _ Mika means, he’s not sure if he has the vocabulary to describe those feelings. 

Starting as simple as possible, spending time with Mika is enjoyable. He likes it when Mika watches him sew, or when Mika joins him for a walk in the woods, or when Mika brings him little pebbles and other things he found in the forest. He likes it when Mika’s a crow so he can rub circles into the top of his head, the soft texture welcome against his fingers. He likes it when Mika watches over his plants. He likes it when Mika falls asleep in his human form and Shu can hear breathy sighs and mumbles coming from him. He likes it when he reaches over in those moments to tuck stray locks of hair behind his ears, giving him a gentle caress while he smiles softly. If Shu was any good at writing, he could write an entire novel of all the things he likes about his time with Mika. 

But… he likes how Mika makes him feel, too. Mika’s kind smile and encouraging attitude always motivate Shu to be the best version of himself. He wants to be a good person, to be someone Mika can look at and be proud of. He also likes the way Mika’s smile makes his heart skip a beat, the way his laughter sends butterflies fluttering through his stomach (even though at first he was afraid of these sensations—honestly, for a minute he thought he was going to  _ die). _ And for someone as dark and mysterious as the night, Mika makes him feel bright and radiant. 

In his eyes, Mika is like a light glowing in the dark. The world around him is cold, dark, and harsh. But Mika alone is enough to illuminate everything around him with just a single smile.

Shu never wants that smile to disappear. If he can help it, that smile will be there for as long as he lives.

No matter, though—he’s spent the last two centuries just recognizing that his feelings towards Mika are powerful. He’s got plenty of time to fully digest them. For now, he’s content to just be Mika’s witch, and for Mika to just be his familiar. 

It’s a comfortable arrangement they have—for now, there’s no need to change it. 

After being sufficiently stroked by Shu, Mika hops off of his shoulder, planting his talons into the dirt path and giving his feathers a ruffle. From there, he shifts back into his human form, growing from his 45-centimeter tall bird height to his full human height.

“Mmmnnh, what’s up? Ya called?”

“Yes. I want you to come inside. I have something to show you,” Shu elaborates. He turns on his heels and turns the knob of his front door. “Follow me.”

With a shrug, Mika trails after Shu, shutting the door behind him with a click. 

“Close your eyes.”

“Mm, alrighty.” Doing as he’s told, Mika raises his hands up to cover his eyes, just like a child playing a game of peekaboo.

Though his vision tells him nothing of what Shu’s doing, his ears alert him to the sound of Shu walking towards what seems to be the dining table. He hears the shuffling of papers and other miscellaneous objects on the table before the click of Shu’s heels grow louder as they approach Mika. 

“Alright, you can open your eyes now. Here.” 

Lowering his hands down to rest at his sides, Mika hesitantly opens one eye. He sees Shu with his head turned to the side, avoiding eye contact as a light blush dusts his cheeks. He can’t imagine  _ why  _ Shu looks like this— 

Oh.

Looking down, a small rectangle of cloth is being extended out towards him. 

“Here, I made this for you. I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t trust the townspeople one bit,” Shu finally explains, voice hitching with a twinge of nervousness.

It’s endearing.

Extending his hands out to accept Shu’s offering, Mika takes the handkerchief with an excited grin. He looks just like a child ready to unwrap presents on Christmas morning with how happy he looks. 

The handkerchief is dark green, its velvety texture feeling silky against his fingers. In the center of it lays an intricate rose, the colors changing between cerulean, gold, and a pale violet—an incredible amount of detail for such a small canvas. It’s impressive. It’s exactly what Mika knows Shu is capable of. 

Eyeing it more closely, he can see two sets of initials finely embroidered in the corner with gold thread: S.I. & M.K.

Everything about Shu’s gift is so thoughtful. From the colors, to the material, to the hours he’s clearly poured into this labor of love. All for Mika. All for his familiar.

Mika loves it. 

“I—I, wow…” is all that Mika’s able to lamely say. “I wish I was better with words an’ stuff, cuz ‘s really beautiful. ‘m in awe… never did I ever think I was gonna get somethin’ like this! I love it!”

Mika leaps, pulling Shu into a warm hug. The handkerchief is held out away from both of their bodies so it doesn’t get wrinkled at such an early stage in its life. Shu, in a moment of shock, panics as his heart begins to race at the contact. They’re not  _ usually _ so physical with each other.

But he supposes there’s a first time for everything.

Hesitantly, Shu wraps his arms around Mika’s middle, hands running calmly against the small of his back, chin resting against the junction of Mika’s neck and shoulder. He’s glad that his face isn’t pressed up against Mika, or else the ridiculous smile he’s wearing would be disgustingly obvious.

After a moment of being together, Mika eventually pulls back. Shu sighs internally at the loss of contact but looks at Mika with a love-struck expression etched on his face.

“I’m glad you like it..” 

“ ‘s gorgeous, seriously. ‘s it enchanted, too?”

“Well, not necessarily. It’s a little different from some of my other creations. This handkerchief doesn’t actively do anything. It’s more of a gift from me to you—sort of a way to signify how far we’ve come and how much you mean to me. You’re special, you know. You’re my familiar. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

With glowing cheeks, all Mika can do is return the kind smile Shu’s giving him.

Mika never lets the handkerchief out of his sight. 

* * *

“We’re here. Let’s go in. We have work to do.” 

Before Shu and Mika lays a dilapidated graveyard. It’s located in the woods, though not too far from the town. It was a good two-hour walk from Shu’s cottage, and probably another hour until they’d make it to the town. 

The early morning fog shrouds the tombstones scattered throughout the yard. It isn’t a large graveyard by any conventional means—the town isn’t a major city center. But it’s been here for centuries, so over time the number of graves has naturally increased. The front is decorated with older graves—crooked headstones with cracks in them make their presence obvious. Towards the center lies a mausoleum, reserved for the bodies of the town’s founders. All of the newer graves are located in the northwestern corner—clear visual evidence of the graveyard’s eventual expansion as more places to bury the town’s dead are needed. 

They’ve been walking since before sunrise, to be able to get here before any humans arrived to mourn. In a place like this—especially with the work Shu’s going to be doing—it isn’t safe for them to be seen. They can’t risk being exposed. 

The forest can’t protect itself from humans. Shu and Mika can. 

Growing over the cold metal of the iron gate are unorganized rows of climbing ivy. An intricate spider web decorates the center of the gate, illuminated by a myriad of water droplets. A spider sits on the corner of the web, patiently waiting for prey to make the mistake of stepping into its territory; cautiously eyeing everyone who comes near, almost as if it’s the graveyard’s own personal greeter.

Pushing open the wrought iron gate with a creak, the pair steps inside asthe gate weakly squeaks as it closes shut. 

Boots stepping forward, crushing dew-drenched grass beneath them, they stick along the edge of the gate and head left. Hanging off of the ends of the golden willow trees surrounding the graveyard are small cloth amulets Shu created. They ward off danger and malice. Shu comes to the graveyard once a month to replace them—they lose their effectiveness after a while, so Shu creates a batch of new ones to hang to keep the graveyard safe.

Shu stops them in front of the amulet closest to the entrance. Reaching over, he unties the knot and replaces it with a new one from his pack, careful to keep the old and new ones in separate groups. While Shu makes his way down the outer perimeter of the graveyard, meticulously replacing each amulet, Mika trails behind him, walking with an awkward gait as he tries to crunch all the dead leaves underneath his feet.

About halfway through replacing the amulets on the outer border, Shu notices something.

Mika’s not with him anymore. 

Turning around, he looks around for Mika, but it’s to no avail. The fog is dense—he can’t see much beyond ten feet in front of him. 

This is not good. 

“Kagehira?” he calls out, slowly stepping deeper into the graveyard. 

No response. The graveyard is silent except for the tittering of squirrels and chipmunks scurrying about the untended grass.

“Kagehira?” he repeats, more forcefully this time. “Where are you?”

Shu doesn’t hear a reply, but he hears the sound of water splashing nearby. Heading in the direction of it, he keeps his eyes peeled for Mika’s dark form.

And there—right behind a crumbling headstone with moss growing at the base, sits Mika. Well,  _ technically  _ he’s squatting. Next to a puddle. Poking it with a stick while a frog watches from the edge with amusement. 

Of course, Mika just had to stray from his sight and nearly send him into a state of panic all because he wanted to play in a puddle. Typical. 

“Kagehira. What are you doing? This is no time to be messing around,” he scolds, briskly darting towards Mika’s side. “Stick close to me. Here.”

Leaning over his crouched form, Shu extends his hand towards Mika.

“Nnnah? Oh, I was just talkin’ to this frog over ‘ere. He’s really friendly!” Mika explains, taking Shu’s hand as he’s helped up from his crouch. Once he’s fully on his feet, though, Shu doesn’t let go, his grip firm. Mika raises his eyebrow and gives Shu a confused stare.

“I don’t want you to get lost.”

Oh.

Mika can take care of himself—he’s a near-immortal being graced with magical powers. He’s not going to get lost; he more or less knows every nook and cranny of the graveyard by heart. This isn’t the first time he’s been here—his trips here with Shu go back decades. 

But he’s not going to object to holding Shu’s hand like this.

“Alrighty. Guess we’ll stick together now, huh?”

“Yes. Now let’s get going, we have more amulets to replace. We’re barely halfway done.” 

Tugging Mika along, Shu leads them back to the hanging willow trees lining the graveyard and gets back to work. The only time Mika’s hand ceases to be connected with his is when he’s reaching into his pack to pull out an amulet and then subsequently tying it to the tree. As soon as he’s finished, he’s quick to relink Mika’s hand with his, walking alongside the gate together as they head to their next target. 

Perhaps Shu wants company—the graveyard is empty, after all. 

Perhaps Shu’s craving physical touch—he basically lives by himself in the middle of the forest,  _ of course _ he’s touch starved.

Perhaps Shu just wants to hold Mika’s hand—he doesn’t have a reason why. 

Without question, Mika lets him. 

*~*~*~*~*

Once Shu’s finished putting amulets on the trees in the surrounding area and tending to the weeds that have taken root in between the stone path, he guides them to the center of the graveyard. Laying in front of a marble headstone, that’s suspiciously intact compared to the ones in its immediate vicinity, is a black cat with green eyes. Beside the cat were stray twigs that had fallen down and tumbled over. Nearby, dried leaves are swept off the ground as they flutter away.

The black cat has no name—or at least, it hasn’t told Shu yet. It’s always here in the graveyard, patrolling the grounds and keeping a watchful eye on the townspeople who enter its premises. 

In a sense, the cat is a familiar. 

Not for a witch, and not for the dead humans that lay buried here. Rather, it’s a familiar for the graveyard and the fragments of untamed forest that are ever slowly reclaiming this territory. The cat protects the animals, plants, and insects whose lives came to an end in this forest. Even if their corpses aren’t physically here, their souls reside here. Some of them are lost, wandering, not sure where they should be. Others find comfort within the gates of the graveyard. The cat protects those who are still here. 

The cat at the graveyard is a friend. Shu and Mika are kind to it.

As they get closer, it doesn’t move from its lounging position on the stone. Instead, it just stares at them—not emitting a trace of emotion as purple, gold, and blue meet green. 

Crouching down, Shu removes the treat he packaged in parchment paper the night before. Setting it in front of the cat, Shu unties the twine holding the paper together, letting it fall open. Inside the paper is a white mouse. 

It’s dead.

The cat gobbles it up. 

It’s utterly disgusting, but neither of them are going to voice their thoughts on the matter. After all, the cat is powerful. 

It grants them entry and permits them to leave.

Wordlessly, the cat thanks Shu and Mika, tail swishing side to side as it watches them exit through the front gate, hand in hand.

*~*~*~*~*

Shu and Mika don’t leave the graveyard until early afternoon, and they don’t approach their cottage until after the sun has set. With winter quickly approaching, the days are shorter and the air is cooler. At least their thigh-length black coats offer some protection against the chilling wind.

About a quarter of the way back, Shu wordlessly interlocks his fingers with Mika’s. His glance doesn’t move from the lock it has on the path in front of him, but when Mika snuck a peek he noticed how red Shu’s face is. It’s probably not just the cold that’s dusting his cheeks. 

The bitter night air stung as it nipped at Mika’s nose, but the warmth of Shu's hand in his made him forget all about the world around him.


	4. bring me to the hidden stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HELLOOOO WE'RE FINALLY HERE, THE END IS NIGH. GO FORTH.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING:**  
>  there is an allusion to a sex scene towards the end of this chapter!!! there is NOTHING explicit, but there are VERY suggestive actions described. if you do NOT want to read that part, **STOP** reading at the part that goes:
> 
> “...”  
> With lips clamped shut, not a single sound escapes as Shu takes a minute to have an internal battle with himself.
> 
>  **THEN,** to finish the fic, just begin reading at the next divider (the first few words are "Years pass" if you use ctrl+f)!

Shu’s in trouble.

Shu is in _big_ trouble.

If Mika catches him doing this, then he’s done for. 

He’ll have to flee the woods (with Mademoiselle by his side, of course), go live by the seaside, and change his name. He’ll have to change his hair color, too, so Mika won’t recognize him. Finally, he’ll have to adopt an accent as the final nail in the coffin—he’s always had an affinity for France, so maybe…

In all actuality, the _thing_ that caused this train of thought isn’t even _that_ bad.

He’s making a love charm. For Mika.

… Okay, maybe it was _a little_ bad. It could be worse. 

Of course, love can’t be forced. As much as humans loved their stories about magic potions that made the person drinking it fall in love with the first person they saw, _real_ magic is entirely different. 

The charm he’s currently sewing inside the pocket of Mika’s jacket won’t make Mika fall in love with him. It won’t even make him feel anything romantic towards Shu, or anyone else for that matter. What it will do, however, is fill Mika with a sense of warmth and happiness when he’s inside the cottage and in the immediate vicinity. As long as he’s wearing the jacket, Mika will feel a deeper connection to the area.

In a sense, it’s not much of a love charm. In all honesty, it’s more accurate to say that this is a charm to make Mika feel like he’s at home.

Shu hopes that that feeling will extend to him, as well.

“Teehee, what are you doing, Shu?”

After hearing Mademoiselle pipe up out of nowhere, his attention is occupied as he accidentally pricks himself with the sewing needle. It’s also the nerves that have him more jittery than usual—he definitely didn’t want to be caught in the act. Of course, Mademoiselle just had to be nosy as ever. It wasn’t her fault, though—Shu left her in the high chair next to the dining table he was situated at. Shu thought he was being slick, but truthfully? He was oblivious. Carelessness made itself known in the presence of his ever-growing anxiety. At the very least, Mika isn’t here to witness this. Thankfully, he hasn’t seen him all day today. If Shu had to guess, he’d say that Mika is out doing… crow things. Unsure as to what that entails, he shrugs it off. Of course, Shu loves it when Mika’s in his presence, but alone time is necessary.

Especially when he’s got his hands all over Mika’s clothes, going behind his back and sewing charms in. 

“Mademoiselle! Don’t startle me like that,” he grits out. His thumb is in his mouth, currently being sucked on to close the wound. 

“Oh, sorry, Shu. I didn’t mean to frighten you. It’s just that you’ve been working so diligently for the past hour, I wanted to know what all the fuss was about.”

Time sure does fly by quickly when working on something with all of your heart.

“I can’t believe you were just watching me for an hour. Have you heard of the concept of privacy before, Mademoiselle?”

“If you wanted privacy, then you shouldn’t have begun working in the dining room. It’s a public space,” she retorts, snark evident in her tone.

“It’s not a public space. This is my house. It’s considered private property.”

“I live here.”

“...”

Coming up with a retort to a part of your own self is hard. So, Shu does the obvious thing—ignores it.

“So~?” Mademoiselle coos. “Are you going to tell me what you’re working on? And why you have Mika’s coat? Does he _know_ about this?”

“Know ‘bout what?” As if on cue, Mika stumbles in through the door.

Shu _yelps._ As fast as his hands allow him to, he yanks the coat from the table and throws it haphazardly behind him, with it landing in the corner. Pulling his sewing supplies close, his form drapes over them, trying to hide them as much as possible.

He’s absolutely frantic.

“... Any reason why ya just threw m’coat over there?”

 _Shit._ He’s been found out. 

Time to engage his plan of running away from the cottage, never to see Mika again. 

Young love _sucks._

“Kagehira, I’m so sorry. I never expected it to end this way. You see, I had your coat because I was trying to put an enchantment on you, and it was taking a long time because I wanted it to be perfect, so I got caught up in all the minor details, and then _Mademoiselle_ decided to start interrogating me out of the blue, so I pricked my finger and I think it’s _still_ bleeding, and right when I was about to get back to work, _you_ burst through the doors and then I panicked and now I—”

“Woah, woah, woah, hol’ up. Slow down. What the heck’re ya talkin’ ‘bout?”

… Oh no.

… _Oh no._

Apparently, Mika didn’t see any of the weird, secret, love-charm-like _whatever_ he was sewing.

Sighing, his lips gently curl up into a smirk. “Yanno, ‘s ain’t the first time ya sewed somethin’ fer me. Ya don’t have t’be so secretive ‘bout it. ‘m not gonna get mad or anythin’. Ya can just ask me t’my face. ‘s fine, really.”

He walks over and reaches for the coat Shu’s tossed into the corner, dangling it by the sleeve.

“Anyway, what exactly _did_ ya make? I wanna see!” Rotating, the coat in his hands, Mika holds it up in front of him to inspect it from a distance. “Where’s the charm ya mentioned at?”

“Non! Kagehira, put that down this instant!” Shu practically shouts, standing up from where he was seated and slapping his palms against the table. Mika playfully sticks his tongue out and swiftly runs out of the dining room, giggling all the while. 

Shu has his work cut out for him. Before pursuing Mika, he shoots Mademoiselle an annoyed glare. This is all her fault.

She simply looks at Shu with her never-changing smile in response. Not a single word to be said about all the problems she’s created today.

“Kagehira, get back here!”

*~*~*~*~*

Little does Shu know, the charm he made won’t have any effect on Mika. 

Mika doesn’t need magic to feel like he’s at home here.

* * *

For the first time in what feels like forever, Shu and Mika are able to relax. They’ve finished all their work for the week—fresh seeds planted in the garden, monthly maintenance trip to the graveyard completed, a surplus of sewing supplies purchased from the town, protection charms around the cottage and the neighboring woods systematically updated. The hardships winter brought were behind them, and they could finally catch a break from their day-to-day tasks.

Outside, the roaring thunder periodically breaks the silence that hangs in the air between them. The pit-pat of drizzling rain falls against the roof like a metronome; relaxing and constant, but it’s a sound they eventually tune out after a while. 

Mika, with his crow instincts at the forefront of how he experiences the world, is indifferent towards the rain. It’s steady, with its downpours coming in almost rhythmically. But it’s also damp, almost disgustingly so _._ Raindrops are thick, so when they fall on him it’s difficult for him to fly; he always has to exert more energy than usual, so it’s easier for him to find a cozy tree branch somewhere shady and stay put until the rain’s gone. Combined with the cooler temperature that accompanies such days, crows were simply not made for exceptionally wet weather. He’s not a duck, so his feathers were never made to handle an excessive amount of water. And his down feathers aren’t _that_ thick—he doesn’t like the cold very much. It’s a good thing Shu’s body temperature is always leaning on the hotter side. 

Still, though. Mika is the kind of person who’s able to see the beauty in everything. Just because he doesn’t like having to do his tasks in the rain, it doesn’t mean that he can’t enjoy it. Sitting curled up on Shu’s couch, watching water droplets as they gently roll down the window, is by far one of his favorite activities. 

But overall, the rain is refreshing—it marks how the long winter has come to an end. Instead of a clean, white layer of snow blanketing the woods, frustratingly trapping them together indoors a handful of times. The grass is now a lush shade of green and the leaves on the trees are returning from their fallen state. It won’t be long until blooming flowers impose themselves throughout the forest. 

Except before they get to the part where they can go on calm strolls through the woods, they must endure the bitter sting of the downpour they’re currently waiting out. It’s relaxing, sure, but it’s been months since they’ve been able to enjoy the warmth and sunshine outdoors. 

But though the world outside their woodsy cottage looks gloomy, _dreary_ even, the sensations coming from inside were anything but. Shu’s running between the kitchen and the dining room, checking on the croissants he has tucked away in the oven at 375 degrees. A buttery aroma wafts throughout the kitchen, all the way into the living room. Mika, sniffing the air, catches a whiff, salivating at the treat he knows he’ll be getting soon. Hopefully, Shu made some that weren’t plain. 

“Oshi-saaaan,” Mika whines, rolling on the couch so his back is against the cushion and he’s staring at the ceiling. “ ‘m cold. I really wish ya were a fire mage right now. Ya could heat me up. Make me feel all toasty. I’d be just like a marshmallow, nnnh, that’d be nice. ‘m extra hungry now.” 

“Well, I apologize that I had no choice in the type of magic I was assigned at birth,” Shu calls to the other room from his position against the kitchen counter. Squatting down, he looks into the oven. The croissants were almost ready—the dough was puffing up, but it was still too pale. He’d rather do something terrible, like embarrass himself in front of Mika, than eat undercooked croissants. “They’ll be done soon. Just be patient.”

“Nnnnh. Brrrrr. ‘m gonna freeze t’death. Seriously. They should hurry up an’ be done already, ‘s been like hooourrs. Yer tryin’ t’starve, me, aren’t ya?”

Sighing as he walks over to the living room, Shu rubs his temples. Mika’s being obnoxiously needy tonight. It’s probably because he’s just bored—it’s been raining non-stop for the whole day, so they’ve been cooped up inside relentlessly. 

Heading towards the old-fashioned, red-brick fireplace, Shu tosses in a few bundles of wood and lights a match, tossing it in. Though the flames grow slowly, the smoky aroma fills the room at a rapid pace, nearly overpowering the smell of baked bread stemming from the oven. 

“Is this better?”

“Nnnh, ‘s still cold.”

“You need to let it warm up first. Of course it’s still cold. Give it a second.”

“Mmmph. Fine. But I hope yanno that ‘m still gonna let ya know that ‘m really cold.”

Shu rolls his eyes and heads back to the kitchen, wiping his hands on a nearby cloth. “Of course you will.”

Eventually, the room does heat up and Mika can feel it, being only several feet from the fireplace. The warmth is a welcome from the chill coursing through the cottage. Toasty and warm—Mika likes it.

But he’s still going to be a little shit if he can help it.

He wants attention.

He wants _Shu’s_ attention. Focused entirely on him. 

Shu’s been focused on _croissants_ for way too long. Mika knows he can’t compete with the warm, buttery, deliciousness that Shu’s loved since he was a child. It still doesn’t stop him from seeking acknowledgment.

“ ‘s not warm yet.”

An exasperated sigh can be heard from the other room, along with the clatter of the oven door closing, more forceful than necessary. 

“What do you mean it’s not warm yet? The fire’s been going for at least ten minutes. I’m over here and I’m not cold.”

“Yeah, cuz you’ve been runnin’ around takin’ care of yer croissants an’ stuff,” Mika bemoans, slinking ever-deeper into the couch. Reaching for a nearby pillow, he cuddles it tightly against his chest. 

“And you’ve been laying right in front of the fireplace. You’re closer to it than I am. What’s your excuse?”

“I—” Mika begins, but pauses. Instead of answering Shu’s question, he opts to pull the pillow higher up so that it’s covering his mouth. Dodging the question seems like the best course of action right now. “Will ya make me a hot chocolate?”

Shu can’t say no to Mika, even when he’s clearly being annoying on purpose. He’d do anything for him, honestly. If Mika wants a warm drink? Shu’s got him covered. Anything to see him smile. 

Smoothing down his apron, he makes his way to the fridge and takes out some milk. Setting it down on the counter, he gets to work.

At hearing the bustling in the kitchen, a clinking of glass against the countertop, Mika smiles to himself, the cushion still obscuring the lower half of his face. Weakly, he lets out a quiet “yay” to himself.

After a few moments, everything’s ready. With a tray of freshly baked croissants in one hand and a warm drink in the other, Shu makes his way to the living room, setting both on the coffee table. Now that he’s so close to the fireplace, he knows for certain that Mika wasn’t cold. The heat from the flames is practically tangible.

God, he’s desperate.

Mika’s lucky Shu’s always willing to deliver attention.

“Here, drink this. It should warm you up. The croissants are ready, too,” Shu explains. Mika gets up from his comfortable position on the couch in favor of sitting up, back pressed against the cushions behind him. “The ones on the right are filled with chocolate since I know you like those better than the plain ones. Try one.”

“Ehh—? Wow, ya remembered! Can’t wait t’eat one!” With that, Mika leans over to pick up a chocolate croissant. Being in the oven only a few minutes ago, it hasn’t had time to cool down all the way. Hissing, he fumbles with it in his hands—nearly dropping it on the carpet—before quickly popping it in his mouth to take a bite. The melted chocolate contrasts the flaky exterior of the croissant, creating an interesting texture and an even more delicious feeling in against his taste buds. 

“ ‘s _so_ good! I love it! Thanks a ton!” A broad grin spreads across his face as he flashes a warm smile up at Shu.

Shu’s expression softens, returning Mika’s fond expression. He, too, picks up a croissant before sitting down on the couch next to Mika. Biting into it, he’s proud of what he’s created. It’s delicious.

“Are you still cold?”

“... Mhm.”

He’s not. He’s comfortable. He wouldn’t be _opposed_ to getting warmer, but he’s not on the verge of freezing to death (it’s not like he ever was, though). 

“Shall I get a blanket?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that. I wanna be warm an’ toasty all over.”

“Alright.” Getting up, Shu walks over to the basket next to the fireplace where their household linens are kept. Picking up the rose blanket he made years ago, he shakes it out and carries it back to the couch. Reclaiming his seat next to Mika, he spreads it out over their laps.

“Is that better?”

It’s so much better. Mika’s body temperature is brought up to just the right amount. 

It might be a little _too_ much, though. With Shu so close to him, excess heat radiates off into his space. Their arms are touching, just faintly. At the thought of wanting to be ever closer, Mika’s heartbeat accelerates—not too much where it’s a _dangerous_ amount, but enough for him to notice a new fluttering feeling in his chest, the ever-present _thump thump thump_ ringing in his ears. 

Without a doubt, he’s warm now. He doesn’t have to lift a hand up to his rosy cheeks to know that the heat’s made its way to his face. 

“Yeah. ‘m warm now.” Leaning over, Mika reaches for the warm cup and takes a sip. Holding the mug in his hands, he lets the warmth spread from his palms down to his fingertips. Yep—he’s satisfied now. 

Mika wouldn’t change anything about where he is.

For _centuries,_ he’s been with Shu. As a stranger, to a friend, to _his_ familiar, to… something. 

Frankly, their relationship right now is confusing—they work well as a team, taking care of the forest around them. But they also take care of each other. Mika’s always available to lend an eager ear when Shu needs to vent, or when he’s talking about his next sewing project. Mika’s there to comfort him when he needs to cry. Even in the happy moments, Mika’s there—if Shu thinks of something funny, Mika’s always one to laugh at his joke (even if some of them kind of stink). Hell, Mika’s even there to take care of Mademoiselle when Shu’s away.

At the same time, Shu is there for Mika. When Mika’s tired, or in a bad mood and can’t explain why, Shu understands. No words need to be exchanged—as if it’s instinctual, Shu provides him with fresh food, a warm place to sleep, peace and quiet, and if needed—a shoulder to cry on. He knows Mika loves to be touched, so he does that, too—hands that just can’t seem to stay off of him, giving his head a gentle pat, ruffling his feathers when he’s in crow form, touches that linger too long against his fingers. Neither of them say a word about it, but they both can feel how the air between them is different now than it was even a century ago. 

Being a familiar, Mika is spiritually tied to Shu but he still retains a sense of individuality. After all, he’s not Shu’s _pet._ He’s not kept on a leash or in a cage or anything. When he wants to, Mika will take to the skies and fly around the forest, perhaps seeking out one of his familiar friends and catching up with them. Other times, he’s just taking a breather and exploring the woods at his own pace. He’s centuries old, but the woods are vast—he hasn’t seen it all, so there’s always a new place for him to go and visit. 

Sometimes, he tucks away the hidden wonders of the forest he comes across in a folder inside his head—places to show Shu in the future, so Mika can watch as his face lights up with amazement. 

But despite all the fun times he’s had over the years, a series of strange feelings he’s been having have been gnawing at him for the longest time (which isn’t actually _that_ long when considered in the context of how long he’s been alive, but, still).

Mika’s been alive for well over half a century at the very least. He’s seen generations upon generations of humans, animals, and plants come and go. Viewed tens of thousands of sunrises and sunsets. Experienced all the different seasons more than he can count.

But he’s only felt the way he does now once, and only for one person.

Shu.

Shu—Mika doesn’t even know where to begin when it comes to Shu. The way Shu’s smile lights up the darkest corners of the forest, the way his laughter shatters the sound of silence and fills him with a warmth like he’s never felt before, the way he cares about those closest to him more than anything else in the world, even the way his hands skillfully thread the most intricate details into his work— 

And beyond everything else, the way he makes Mika feel, purely and with every fiber of his being; _wanted._

No matter what, the feelings are unavoidable—whether Shu’s happy, excited, sad, annoyed, tired, or anything else, Mika’s filled with a feeling of warmth deep inside his core.

Above all, Mika’s favorite version of Shu is all of them. All together, they form different facets of an incredibly complex person. He’s real, he’s three dimensional, he’s here, and most of all—

He’s Mika’s.

… Mika’s _witch,_ that is.

But who knows where they’ll go from here.

It’s not like their relationship has stayed static over the years. It’s ever-changing—together, they’re always growing with each other. 

Two parts of a whole; two pieces that fit perfectly with the other; two ends of the same red thread.

The way they are right now, the way Mika feels towards Shu—the feelings are so tangled, so confused, so foreign. It’s like nothing he’s ever experienced before. The way they used to be was so different—they care about each other, of course, but it was _different._

Mika doesn’t want to go back to the way they were before.

Cradling the mug of hot chocolate firmly in his hands, Mika raises it to his lips and takes another sip before setting it back down on the coffee table.

Without moving his eyes from their fixed position on the incandescent, practically magical flames in front of him Mika impulsively lets his thoughts leave his head and enter the air between them, cutting through the silence like a knife.

“I like sittin’ ‘ere with ya. A lot.”

Shu swallows. He, too, has his gaze fixed upon the fire. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

And without any more words left to be exchanged, Mika scoots over, resting his head on Shu's shoulder. 

At the contact, Shu’s heart practically bursts out of his chest, at first tightening before fluttering away. But he doesn’t let anyone see that—not Mademoiselle, not Mika. 

Not even himself. The sensations are there, but his attention is focused elsewhere.

Reaching over, he wraps an arm around Mika, pulling him close. Tracing gentle waves with his fingers along the side of his arm.

He can feel Mika smiling against him. 

Mika can’t see Shu’s expression from his current vantage point, but he knows he’s wearing the same lovesick grin. 

*~*~*~*~*

For a while, they stay just like that. Shu holding Mika close, as Mika absentmindedly traces patterns on Shu’s blanket-covered thigh. Shu catching the scent of cinnamon and lavender radiating off of Mika. Mika gently swaying with the rise and fall of Shu’s breaths. 

Together, they watch the fire roar in front of them, the slide of raindrops against the window’s glass visible in their peripheral vision, letting the rhythmic pounding of the rain lull them to sleep.

There’s nowhere either of them would rather be.

*~*~*~*~*

Outside, the darkness that covers the cottage and the forest creatures and spirits that lurk within aren’t scary. Not one bit.

Rather, what’s truly horrifying is _inside_ the cottage.

The course they’re heading now.

There’s no going back to the way things were before.

* * *

Orange and yellow leaves crunching underfoot, Mika follows after Shu down the forest path. 

Mika’s all bundled up. He’s got the coat Shu made just for him hugging his form, and a crimson scarf that he made himself. Although he learned from the resident handicraft master, Mika wasn’t yet skilled enough to knit complex patterns like sweaters or gloves, but he was able to make beautiful scarves (even if the first few attempts were… _something_ to look at). It was a fun hobby, after all. Mika liked to keep his hands occupied, and the repeated motions knitting required were a perfect match for his skills and interests.

Once again, they’re making rounds around the forest. This time, due to a strong storm the past few days, many of his charms hanging on trees by the path connecting the town and his cottage have either been damaged or blown off completely, essentially becoming useless. Fortunately, these charms aren’t at all difficult to replace so after a few hours of sewing Shu has an entire batch ready to be reattached to the trees.

Unlike his usual protection charms that line the perimeter of his cottage, the charms along the path are memory loss charms. They’re meant to keep humans away—from the woods, from his cottage, and from finding their way back home. Once humans stray too far from the town, there’s no going back. Shu’s charms ensure that they walk aimlessly in circles. No matter what, they’ll always be lost in the woods. They walk through the same parts endlessly, always passing the same trees and bushes. The only thing that changes is the number of footprints left in the dirt, increasing as the hours pass. 

Lost humans go mad—they have a feeling that they’ve passed a certain part before, but they can never know for certain.

Shu makes sure they forget. 

Stories of humans wandering into the woods never to be seen again have become somewhat of an urban legend; as a result, Shu’s obtained a reputation with the townsfolk as a local cryptid.

But there’s nothing mysterious about his actions.

Humans bring nothing but danger, destruction, and hatred to the forest. He’s a _victim_ of the humans’ animosity—he certainly hasn’t forgotten. Probably never will, either. Even if none of the townsfolk know about what happened all those hundreds of years ago. 

So, keeping humans lost, wandering, alone, cold, and scared? Perfectly justified in Shu’s book. 

Which is why it’s absolutely _critical_ that he gets these charms back up as soon as possible. 

Continuing down the path, Mika and him are about three-fourths of the way to the town. They’re _almost_ done putting the charms back up. Once they’ve finished all of them, they can end their day and relax at home.

In each other’s arms, of course.

Ever since that stormy spring night where Mika laid his head on Shu’s shoulder, they’ve been far more physical than ever before.

Of course, it’s nothing _extreme_ or anything like that—it’s in the form of soft gentle touches; falling asleep against the other in the same bed, Shu embracing Mika from behind as he’s cooking and leaning his head on his shoulder, Mika sprawling over Shu’s lap with Shu’s hand tangled in his hair, gently stroking it. Not to mention the fact that they hold hands often.

Like, right now.

There’s a way to go before the next charm is even remotely close. Along the side of the path is a log, covered in moss, probably with little critters living inside of it. Mika’s hopped up on top of it and is balancing with one arm sticking out, the other firmly locked with Shu’s hand. Humming softly to himself, Mika sticks a leg out and tries to leap over a gap in the log.

“Be careful. Don’t fall.”

“Pfft, ‘m not gonna fall. ‘sides, yer holdin’ on ta me. Real tight. ‘m not lettin’ go.” Leaping, the hole is left behind him without incident. 

“Neither am I,” Shu says, tone soothing and gentle. Looking down at their linked hands, a smile washes over him. Connected, Mika’s hand tightly nestled against his own. “... But I don’t want to be dragged down if you miss a step. I just washed these clothes.”

“I told ya, ‘m not gonna fall! I’ve done this plenty of times already, sheesh…”

“Right. Just like how you’ve fallen plenty of times as well, correct?”

“Shaddup—ya never saw any of that! Was my lil’ secret…”

“It’s not a secret if you do it in the front yard. Mademoiselle saw you, too. She told me.”

“Seriously?! ‘m gonna have t’have a strict talkin’ to with her later. I got boundaries! Some things are private!” Mika exclaims with a huff, body wobbling as he steps over a particularly deteriorated section of the log. 

“She has a mind of her own, but I’m sure you’ll be able to get through to her.”

“Mm, prolly.” 

Once the log has come to an end, Mika hops down, briefly letting go of Shu’s hand to dust off his pants. Before long, he relinks his hand with Shu's, interlacing their fingers.

Together, they’re at peace. The forest around them is nearly silent, early autumn leaves falling around them, golden and fragile. One lands on Mika’s head and Shu lets out a light chuckle, the corners of his eyes crinkling at how _cute_ Mika looks. Mika rolls his eyes up, trying to catch a glimpse of the leaf but failing. Eventually, another gust of wind blows it off and they’re both giggling to themselves. The atmosphere in their corner of the forest is full of gentle laughter; wholesome, even— 

“What the hell?” Shu asks, eyes squinting as they focus on a figure further down the path. 

“Nnah? Whatcha lookin’ at?” Mika questions, drawing his free hand up to shade his eyes as he too squints.

“There. Look,” Shu commands, pointing at what seems to be a young boy stumbling down the path towards them. 

A human. 

Exchanging glances, the two of them briskly walk towards the child. Not a day past ten years old, it’s as if the forest has ravaged him. It’s likely that he just stumbled back onto the path from the deep woods. His hair is blown in every direction, dirt is sticking to his face, his coat is tattered, and he’s missing a shoe. While it’s unclear what _exactly_ happened to him, it certainly wasn’t _good._

Looking at this young boy—scared and helpless—Shu and Mika only see their younger selves staring up at them. Recalling childhood memories from centuries long past, the feeling of being a child, lost and alone in a cruel world is one they both know all too well.

Humans hold a special place in their heart—they’ve hurt them, pushed them away, tried to hurt them and the forest they call their home. But this child isn’t like them. A boy his age isn’t capable of such hate and malice.

That comes later. After it’s taught.

Shu and Mika exchange glances—though their priority is keeping humans trapped in the woods, they could expend a little mercy here and there.

Unlike humans, they weren’t cruel. 

Besides, Mika’s always had a soft spot for kids. 

“Hey there, whatcha doin’ all alone out ‘ere?” Mika asks, squatting down to the child’s level. Extending his hand towards the child, he gives him a friendly smile. “ ‘m Mika. What’s yer name?”

The child doesn’t answer. Instead, lifeless eyes gaze into Mika’s blue and gold eyes. The boy’s mouth is parted, as if he’ll begin to answer any moment.

No words come out.

“Nnnh, ‘s alright. Ya don’t have t’say anythin’ if ya don’t wanna.” 

At this, the child nods. Alright, so he’s non-verbal, but is still able to communicate through body language and gestures it seems. 

“Well, we should prolly get ya back t’yer parents. C’mon.” Rising from his crouch, Mika stands at his full height and offers his hand. “Let’s hold hands. Don’t want ya t’get lost.”

Watching this scene, Shu learns for the first time in all the centuries he’s known Mika that he’s exceptionally great with children. He’ll have to ask about it later. 

“ ‘ere, come an’ take Shu’s hand. We’ll make sure ya get home nice an’ safely.” 

Shu nods and mirrors Mika, leaving his hand out for the child to take. 

The young boy, glance fluctuating between the two near-immortal beings, eventually takes both of their hands in his. Now, he’s sandwiched between Shu and Mika as they take him straight down the path. 

Gently, Mika begins to swing their arms back and forth. Trying to make the child feel safer, calmer. Take his mind off the whispering of the forest that’s practically in their ears. 

Silently, the three of them make their way down the path to where the forest ends and the town is in sight. 

Shu and Mika don’t leave the forest. Letting go of the boy’s hands, they see him off. Without a word, the child turns back at them and gives them a gentle smile—barely visible, but it’s there. Mika returns the gesture and gives the boy a small wave. Shu stands with his hands in his pockets, watching the child run back into town. 

“We did real good today.”

“Yes, we certainly did. Now then,” Shu begins, removing a hand from his pocket. “Shall we go home?”

No further words need to be said. All that Mika needs to do is take Shu’s hand in his.

So he does.

Together, they turn back into the woods. 

*~*~*~*~*

While they were taking care of the lost boy, the charms on the way into the town weren’t able to be replaced. As a result, the way back to the cottage is primarily Shu putting up more memory charms on the spots he’s missed. 

The last one is attached to the trunk of a tree near a small creek. Once Shu removes it from his pack, it’s strung up neatly. With the last one put up, the magical energy pulses nearby—the spell is up and running again. 

Dusting his hands off, the job is finally finished. It took up the better part of their day, including their small detour. Either way, for now they’re done and they’re free to head back home. 

But going straight home isn’t on the list of Shu’s priorities right now. It’s not often he wants to have serious conversations with Mika, but after seeing the way Mika handled the situation with the child earlier, the _need_ to talk to him about it is overwhelming.

“Kagehira.”

“Nnnh?” Mika stops tossing stones into the creek, failed attempts at skipping them across the water coming to a halt. Turning towards Shu, head cocked to the side, he shoots Shu a quizzical look. “ ‘s somethin’ the matter?”

“Err, not exactly. I was just thinking… Do you remember when we first met?”

Nodding, but unsure where exactly the conversation is going, Mika lets out a soft hum. “Mmm, yup. Clear as night. What’s on yer mind?”

“Well, the whole time we were with that child, I… I couldn’t help but think back to the first night I met you,” Shu starts, beginning to fidget with his fingers. Tears prick at the corner of his eyes as he fights back a choked sniffle. “You… you saved me. I know I don’t say it enough, but really—I thought that that was my last day on Earth and then, out of nowhere, there you were. From that day on, I always imagined you as an angel.”

“Nnah? Huh?” Mika is several things—a friend, a familiar, a protector. But an _angel?_ That’s a comparison he’s never heard before. Stepping closer to Shu as he hears his voice crack, he notices—

Uh oh.

“H-Hey, yer cryin’...” Mika notices, systematically lifting a finger up to Shu's cheek to wipe at his tears. With his boots on, he’s a little taller than his usual height, but since Shu’s wearing similar footwear he’s _also_ taller, cancelling out the height Mika’s gained. Subsequently, he has to get up on his tiptoes before he’s able to comfortably reach Shu’s tear-stained cheeks. “ ‘s alright. Yer safe now. Ya don’t have t’worry ‘bout anythin’, alright? ‘m here. Everythin’s gonna be fine. Shhhh.”

“I was there t’protect ya then, an’ ‘m gonna do it now. No matter what. No matter where we end up, or no matter what the circumstances are.” Mika reassures, pulling him gently into a hug. At that, Shu loses it. Any semblance of control over his emotions are gone—the situation is out of his hands and is now at the mercy of whatever words may fall from his lips. “Anyway, ‘m yer familiar. Don’t ya forget it. Even before I was officially yers, there was a strong spiritual connection between us. I felt it miles an’ miles away—that’s how I knew ya were in big trouble, after all. An’ if ya want the honest truth? Even if I _wasn’t_ yer familiar—I’d still be there fer ya. Through anythin’. In this life an’ the next.”

Speechless. Not having any words to respond to Mika, tears continue to roll down his cheek. If Shu wasn’t crying before, he is—without a doubt—crying his heart out now.

Uncharacteristic, ugly, _disgusting_ sobs fill the silence of the forest as Shu chokes them out into the crook of Mika’s neck where he’s planted his head. 

Having the _worst_ emotional breakdown of your entire centuries-long life—and doing it in front of the one you love more than anything in the world? 

Shu never wants to relive this moment for as long as he lives.

Unluckily for him, like all highly embarrassing and vulnerable moments, it will be vividly etched in his memory. Permanently, perhaps. 

“Shhhh, ‘s okay. Yer alright now. Nothin’s gonna hurt ya. Nothin’.” Mika coos into his ear, rubbing calming circles into the small of Shu’s back. He feels Shu convulse, letting out even louder, dirtier, unhinged cries. The shoulder of his coat is wet, the collar sticking against his neck. Shu’s _gone._

But Mika’s here for him.

“Yer safe ‘ere. In m’arms. I’ll always be here fer ya. Okay?”

Though he doesn’t receive a verbal answer, Mika feels Shu nodding into his shoulder as his body shakes all over. Continuing to support him—physically and emotionally—Mika places gentle pats against his back, whispering reassurances in the calmest possible tone he can muster into his ear. After all, a promise is a promise. Mika _will_ protect Shu, from both physical harm and whatever terrible mental state he’ll fall into if his emotions get the best of him. Now, all that’s left to do is provide him with a safe space to just let it all out. 

“There, there. ‘m ‘ere. Just me an’ ya. There’s nothin’ we can’t face, together, alright?”

“M-Mika…” Shu finally manages to choke out. With a red face, puffy eyes, and fat tears endlessly falling down his cheeks, there’s no phrase better to describe him than a mess. An absolute, horrible, unadulterated, mess. 

He’s lucky Mika’s the least judgemental being on the planet. 

Blue and gold eyes jolt open upon hearing Shu’s utterance. It’s the first time Shu’s called him by his first name since they were kids. 

“ ‘s me. ‘m right ‘ere. Not goin’ anywhere.”

It’s in this moment, this heart wrenching, unrelenting moment of pure kindness and support, Shu comes to realize one thing:

It’s no wonder he’s in love with Mika.

Mika, who’s always there for him. Mika, who saves him from a horrible end. Mika, the sole beam of light shining in the darkness. 

Mika, who he loves with all of his heart and more. 

“There. Ya go no reason t’cry anymore, alright? See, yer lookin’ a lot better now!” Smiling, Mika lets Shu out of his grasp for a moment. Reaching into his front pocket, he pulls out the handkerchief with a rose embroidered in the center, their initials finely threaded in the corner.

The one Shu made specifically for him, all those years ago. 

It’s always on him, solely for sentimental purposes. 

Now, it has a functional use as well. 

Raising it up to Shu’s face, Mika dabs at his tears, drying Shu’s face off ever so gently. 

“I… Thank you.” Shu weakly chokes out. The loud sobs are gone, but his voice is faint—as if it’s exhausted from all the exertion. But no words are necessary—Mika understands. 

“Yer welcome. Anythin’ fer ya.” Once Shu’s face is cleaned up, Mika folds the handkerchief back and tucks it into its usual resting space. “Alrighty then, d’ya think we should get goin’ now? Sun’s about t’set anytime now.” 

“Y-Yeah… Let’s go home.”

“Okay! Fine by me, eheheh~” Mika sings out quietly, reaching down to take Shu’s hand in his. It’s clear that Shu doesn’t want to be left alone right now. 

Their fingers locking together, Mika takes a step forward, only to practically bounce back into place, Shu unmoving. Turning back he lets out a confused sound. “ ‘s somethin’ the matter?”

Shu looks at Mika, eyes still somewhat red but no longer puffy from all the tears.

Deep breath. Time to calm down. 

Time for either the biggest regret or the happiest moment of his life. 

Heart fluttering uncontrollably, on the verge of bursting—there’s a connection between Mika and him. There from the beginning of both of their lives, the invisible thread linking them growing ever tangled until it pulls them flush against the other. Now, the thread is short—the both ends of it within reaching distance. 

Over the years the thread has only pulled them closer together. Never heading backwards, their connection has only gotten stronger, deeper. Only growing closer.

It’s now or never.

“Wait.”

“Nnnh?”

“There’s… There’s something I need to… tell you.” 

“Mmmh? Alrighty, what’s up?”

“I…” Shu begins, voice quivering. 

There’s no turning back now. 

Suddenly, Shu’s standing directly in front of Mika, letting go of his hold on his hand to instead rest his hand on his upper arm. Violet meeting blue and gold, Shu inhales deeply.

“Can I… Can I kiss you?” Shu asks, voice drawing a shaky breath and releasing a quiet exhale.

Mika’s breath catches in his throat. Never in his life did he expect to see the light of day like this. Internally, his mind is _everywhere,_ running a hundred miles a minute. Of _course_ Shu can kiss him—he’s been waiting for hundreds of years. Who is he to deny Shu, especially when he’s in this state? Ashamed to admit how often he’s thought about kissing Shu. Truthfully, Shu wasn’t wrong for scolding him all those times when his mind was wandering—never focusing on the task at hand, instead thoughts imagining a hundred and one different ways Shu would kiss him. Maybe he’ll put his arms around his waist, pulling him close. Or maybe, he’ll run his fingers through his hair, tugging at the ends where it hangs off the back of his neck.

Externally, Mika can only say one thing.

“Please.” 

That’s all that Shu needs to hear. 

Leaning forward, eyes fluttering closed, Shu reaches down for Mika’s hands and holds them in his. In a silent understanding, Mika lets Shu hold his hands and closes his eyes as well. Heart thundering in anticipation of what’s coming next.

And then, even though he _knows_ what’s going to happen, _knows_ that Shu’s going to kiss him, he still audibly _gasps_ when their lips meet. 

Soft. The initial press of Shu’s lips against his are soft, enough to make him melt. Enough for Mika to feel his knees on the verge of buckling, clutching Shu’s hands tighter, the only support he has underneath the elm trees towering around their connected forms. 

After a moment, Shu deepens the kiss, parting their lips _ever so slightly,_ removing his hand from Mika’s to instead wrap one around the small of his back, pulling Mika flush against him. His other hand makes its way up to Mika’s face, cupping his cheek as he kisses him _deeply._

Like it’s the only thing that matters in the world.

And in a sense, _it is._

As if time around them has stopped, just like during their first meeting, the only two people in the world right now are them. In each other’s arms, kissing each other as if their lives depended on it. 

Lips parting, Mika’s hands slowly slide up into Shu’s hair, his pale fingers mindlessly playing with the pink strands. Once Mika takes hold of Shu in this way, he kisses back with just as much passion and energy as Shu. 

He didn’t have time to be patient—he already did that for hundreds and hundreds of years. Now, with Shu _literally_ in his grasp, he’s reluctant to let go. Finally, finally, they’re _here._ Arrived at their destination, never to leave.

Until Shu pulls back for air, breath heavy against Mika’s still parted lips. 

For a few seconds, Mika’s eyes stay closed even as they’re no longer connected. Not wanting to go back to reality. Not wanting this moment to end. 

Once he does open his eyes, though, he’s met with the most beautiful scene: the golden sunset behind him bathing Shu in a gentle glow. To accompany the vivid colors created by the sun in front of him, a powerful blush dusted his cheeks, with the most genuine smile spread across his lips. The soft whisper of his breath is barely audible, but to Mika, it’s the loudest sound in the world. 

“Shu…” Mika breathes, chest heaving, blue and gold eyes half-lidded as they flick up, staring into Shu’s violet eyes. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that,” Shu whispers quietly, breathless. Leaning down, he touches their foreheads together as he closes his eyes, gently thumbing over Mika’s cheek.

“I’ve been waitin’ fer centuries.” 

*~*~*~*~*

Emerging from the darkness, saving Shu both as a child and as an adult— 

Mika is the light.

* * *

They weren’t supposed to fall in love.

Not with each other.

* * *

Shu and Mika are each other’s first everything.

First time holding hands with someone who’s _not_ a family member, first time cuddling, first time sharing a bed.

First _kiss._

Even today, the memory of the kiss they shared only a few years ago for the first time sends an electric current through them. Soft and delicate, but full of passion, yearning—

Exactly how they love.

Except, what they’re doing right now isn’t a first. They’ve done _this_ together for years—tradition, almost.

It’s the first time this winter that enough snow has fallen for them to recognize that fall is more or less, officially over. 

So, as they always do, they bundle themselves up in thick coats, warm gloves, soft hats, and finely-woven scarves that Mika’s knitted for the three of them. Yes, all three. Mademoiselle is never left out of “family” outings. Just like Mika and Shu, her attire matches. Shu’s eye for detail ensured that Shu was warm and comfortable just like them, tirelessly spending hours making a pair of gloves small enough to fit snugly around her tiny doll hands.

The snow quietly falls down on them, cold and powdery to the touch. The once dirt-covered path leading from the cottage into the woods is erased, a sheet of snow blanketing the earth.

In front of the cottage, Mademoiselle is propped up on a small tree stump, a tiny umbrella standing up behind her to protect her from the snow falling from above. Watching Shu and Mika play in the snow like a spectator. Additionally, due to Shu’s ever-cautious nature, a tiny pair of sunglasses frames her face, shading her eyes from the bright rays of the sun. 

Several feet away, the sound of laughter fills the atmosphere. Playfully, Mika nudges Shu.

“Ah—! Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something?”

“Mhm, yeah, I see it. But yer not doin’ it right. ‘ere, lemme try!”

Practically pushing Shu out of the way, Mika takes over Shu’s former responsibility. The ball of snow Shu had in his hands wasn’t fully packed, so it fell apart, landing in a disorganized heap on the ground. Scooping out a lump, Mika begins to roll it in his hands, smoothing out the rough edges and creating a ball. 

“Well, you’re doing it. I was doing it _just fine,_ though. It’s not hard to make a snowball.”

“Yeah, sure. That’s why mine looks so much better.” Mika jabs, sticking his tongue out in good humor. Furrowing his brow in concentration, he adds more snow to the mass in his hands and patting it firmly, getting it to take shape. Once the ball is big enough, Mika sets it on the ground and begins to push along the snow, watching as it gets bigger and bigger with every turn. 

Once it’s grown exponentially in size, Mika stops it, letting it rest just a few feet away from Mademoiselle’s spot on the tree stump.

“See, just like this is how ya do it.”

“I _know._ I was getting to it. Sheesh. I’ll make the next one.”

“Oooh, wait, let’s race! I wanna make another one!”

“How childish. But fine—we _do_ need two more anyways. I’ll make the middle one, you can make the small one.”

“Fine by me, let’s go! Hehe~” 

Smiling to himself, Shu began to scoop up a pile of snow and roll it into a ball. It was cute, really—making a snowman with Mika on the first day of snow is something they’ve done every year for _centuries,_ yet Mika somehow manages to outdo his cuteness every time. This might be the last time they share this tradition together; if Mika keeps it up, Shu will die an early death, unable to handle the sheer amount of _adorableness_ that is Mika. 

Once Shu’s finally amassed it in a big enough ball, he takes a step back, dusting the snow off of his gloves.

“There! Looks like I’m just about done.” Shu remarks proudly, hands resting on his hips as he looks over at their work. Expecting to be the winner of their impromptu contest, he glances over to Mika. A lighthearted frown decorates his face as he sees Mika already standing triumphantly next to the snowball he made. It’s alright, though—Mika can have his fun for now. “Let's go ahead and put them together.”

“Okay!” Shu carefully picks his up first and drops it onto the base, patting the edges to make sure it stays still. Once that’s complete, Mika sets the head on top, having to stand on his toes just a little bit. 

“We’re practically finished now.”

“Nnnnh, we still gotta put the finishin’ touches on. ‘s missin’ a face. It can’t even smile!”

“Well, you’re right. At least the hardest part is out of the way. Let’s change that. Here.” Reaching down and picking up a cluster of stones, Shu gives Mika a handful and they get to work, giving it a pair of lumpy eyes and a lopsided smile. 

Once the snowman’s able to see _and_ smile—just like Mika wanted—the only thing that’s missing is some _character._

“Oh, I got an idea! What if we make it look like Madonee?”

“Look… Look like Mademoiselle.”

“Yeah!”

“How would that even work?”

“Look, right there. Next ta the tree stump she’s on are some lil’ pieces of brush. I see some pine needles, too. We could give her hair. Make her look all pretty an’ stuff.”

“I don’t think—”

“Please?” Mika begs, looking up at Shu with puppy dog eyes. 

Irresistible.

“Fine.” 

“Yay!” 

The two of them then squat down next to Mademoiselle's seated position atop the tree stump, the snowman before her reflecting in her sunglasses. Plucking up several plant pieces, the two of them get to work sticking it on the snowman’s head. Luckily, their reference is seated right before them. 

“Look. ‘Mademoiselle’ is finished now. She has hair.” he states matter-of-factly, accentuating the word Mademoiselle with his hands. 

“Wait, wait, wait. ‘m not done yet. Stay right ‘ere, I wanna go do something.”

“Alright.” What more was there to be done? Give her a matching pair of sunglasses, too? 

Before Shu’s able to question it, Mika’s running about twenty feet away to the woods. Scoping around the area until he spots exactly what he’s looking for—a stick.

Picking it up, he runs back to where he parked Shu. He’s giving him a look, with one hand resting on his waist and bending his knee. Eyebrow twitching upwards as he eyes the stick in Mika’s hands.

Without explanation, Mika begins to draw in the snow. At first, it’s unclear what exactly he’s making. But after a moment, the outline of a heart becomes visible at the base of the snowman. 

“Oh, Mika, that’s—”

“Shhh. ‘m not done yet.”

With that, Mika continues his art project, now adding the final touches to the heart—the initials S.I. and M.K. together in the center. Once the heart is complete, the stick is tossed to the side.

It’s cheesy, _childish_ even, but Shu adores it. 

“D’ya like it?” he asks, looking up at Shu with a glimmer in his mismatched eyes.

“I love it.”

Shu slyly wraps an arm around Mika’s waist, pulling him close and ghosting his hand gently over his side. Mika reciprocates the gesture, leaning up on his tiptoes to plant a warm kiss on Shu’s cheek before resting his head against Shu’s chest. The gentle thump of his heart lulls Mika into a state of calmness.

A state of love. 

Really—No matter how many times they touch each other or kiss, Shu’s still taken aback by the warm and fuzzy fluttering in his chest, heart skipping a beat at the contact. 

It’s been _years_ since that fateful October evening, where the threads tied at the ends of their pinky fingers were pulled tight, bringing them closer than they’ve ever been. 

As close as they’re meant to be. Touching, never separating. 

Breaking their relationship down to its bare elements, they were a witch and familiar. And because of that, coming together as one was practically written in the stars—bound to each other from the beginning, not quite destiny but it was similar enough.

However, any further developments beyond the witch-familiar relationship lay solely in their own hands. 

A spiritual connection may have linked them together in the first place, but their ever-deepening devotion only brought them closer together, to the point where nothing can pull them apart.

In each other’s arms, they’re safe.

Home.

*~*~*~*~*

Mika shuts and locks the front door behind him as the three of them enter the cottage, worn out from a day of enjoying the amusement early winter afternoons brought. Shaking snow-dusted hair, Mika removes his gloves, hat, and coat, setting them gently on the dining table. He’ll put them away later—for now, getting a fire going is his top priority.

Shu follows suit, first removing his snow clothes before reaching over to take off Mademoiselle’s gloves and coat. Carefully, he removes her sunglasses and puts them in the small case Mika made to protect them from scratches. 

“That was refreshing. I’m glad we were able to get some fresh air.”

“Mmmh, me too. ‘m glad ya think so. Felt like we were cooped up in here fer too long, havin’ to fix up all those charms the other day.”

Shu hums softly in response, picking up Mademoiselle and setting her on the empty chair adjacent to the coffee table. Once she’s comfortable, Shu takes up residence at the couch in front of the fireplace, hands extended outwards in hopes of feeling the warmth emitting from the fire. 

Not too long after, Mika joins Shu and mimics his action, fingertips slowly regaining feeling after being in freezing temperatures for an extended period of time. 

Once Mika’s warmed up, he leans his head on Shu’s shoulder, silently begging for Shu to pay attention to him.

So, he does. 

Wrapping an arm around Mika’s shoulder, warm fingers absentmindedly playing with the folds of his shirt, he pulls him close. Though quiet, Mika’s small, contented sigh makes Shu’s face light up. 

Sitting together like this, Shu holding Mika in his arms—it’s not strictly part of their routine, per se, but it’s methodical. Just like clockwork, during the colder seasons at the end of a long day they sit in front of the fire and bask in the other’s company. Sometimes making idle chit chat, other times simply listening to the sounds of their breathing combined with the sounds that come from the forest around them. 

“Nnnh, hey. D’ya remember when we did this fer the first time?”

“Building a snowman?”

“Nah. Not that. This,” Mika says, nuzzling his cheek along Shu’s shoulder.

_Ah._

“Of course.”

“What did ya think ‘bout that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Yanno, when ya did it. Yer arms, I mean.”

“I didn’t think. I acted and hoped for the best.” 

Lips curling into a gentle grin, Mika lets out a small laugh.

“Well, ‘m real glad ya didn’t think. Cuz look where we are now.”

“Where are we now?”

“Yanno… here. Together. The two of us.”

“...”

With lips clamped shut, not a single sound escapes as Shu takes a minute to have an internal battle with himself.

Don’t get him wrong, he likes where they’re at now—

But he still wants to go even _further._

“Nnnh?”

“Do you… Do you want to stay ‘here?’” He asks, gulping. Fingers fidgeting nervously with the cloth of Mika’s sleeves as he waits for an answer. 

Mika shuffles awkwardly in place, taking a moment to pause before answering. 

“Well… ‘s comfortable.”

Shu can feel his heart sink, forcing a smile to stay on his face to mask the sudden wave of emotion washing over him.

“... But,” Mika begins, voice quiet, practically quivering with hesitation. “I’ve been thinkin’ lately… ‘bout somethin’ more.”

_Oh._

Nevermind the sinking feeling in Shu’s chest—in an instant it’s gone, replaced by the fast, hard pounding of his heart. 

“Something… _more?_ ”

“Yeah…”

“What do you mean?”

“... Err,” Mika begins, face heating up, eyes looking pointedly away from Shu as his own heart pounds rapidly in his chest. “ ‘m not all that good with words an’ stuff, so maybe ‘s better if I just… yanno, try an’ show ya. ‘m sure ‘s somethin’ yer gonna catch on ta pretty quickly.” 

Shu sucks in a breath, heart pounding in anticipation. This could only mean one thing.

Mika’s really about to do this, isn’t he?

Silently removing himself from the hold of Shu’s arm around his shoulder, Mika turns so he’s facing Shu. With redness sprawled across his face and his eyes refusing to meet Shu’s, a shaky hand slips onto Shu’s as Mika crawls into his lap, practically straddling him.

Ever since they kissed for the first time, they’ve been no stranger to being physical with the other. However, their activities never went further than passionate kissing. 

Whatever is about to happen is going to be yet another addition to the list of ‘firsts’ they’ve experienced together. 

With Mika fully situated on Shu’s lap, he begins to press gentle kisses on his neck, Shu’s breath hitching in his throat at the first contact. Soon, the kisses are replaced by soft, kitten licks lapping at the junction of his neck and shoulder. And then, suddenly, Mika bites down, sucking on Shu’s skin. Hard enough to leave a mark. 

“Oh my god—”

Shu’s attention is solely focused on the sensations along his neck. Never in his centuries-long life had he experienced this. Sure, he’s had _thoughts,_ but he didn’t expect the real deal to be so…

Hot.

In the pit of his stomach, a spark of arousal flares up. As Mika continues to suck and bite at his neck, moving his head to the other side of Shu’s neck to leave even more marks, Shu feels his pants tighten. Letting out a shaky breath, he sets his hands on Mika’s waist to try and pull him off—not because he doesn’t like the feeling of Mika's lips hot against his neck, but because they were treading into _dangerous_ territory very, _very_ quickly. 

Except, instead of defusing the situation and slowing things down, Shu makes what _can_ be considered a mistake.

With hands firmly planted on Mika’s waist, Shu pulls his hips down.

Mika doesn’t slow down.

He _yelps._

“Ah!” Just like Shu, Mika’s also gotten _very excited_ in response to what he’s been doing to Shu. When Shu drags his hips down, their groins rut against each other and it’s the best thing they’ve felt. 

So, seeing that things between them are only getting _more_ heated, Mika takes the opportunity to finally reach up and kiss Shu—breath ragged, panting as he lets out faint moans while Shu grinds up, meeting Mika’s hip motions. Even though two layers of clothing separate them, the friction is _amazing._ Shu’s kissing back with just as much passion, hands riding up from Mika’s waist to run across his chest, playing with a button. 

“A-Ah,” Shu lets out as Mika shoves his tongue into his mouth, deepening the kiss. It’s all Shu can do to _not_ become unhinged.

“Nnh, Shu, _please,”_ Mika grits out as he rocks his hips against Shu’s, their arousals flush against each other. Eyes slamming shut, a high-pitched whine escapes from his throat. Mika feels a shiver roll down his spine as Shu finishes unbuttoning his shirt, fingers beginning to run up and down his chest.

It’s freezing outside, but it feels like it’s a hundred degrees inside the cottage as Mika's grinding _hard_ against Shu, breathy moans spilling out of both of their lips.

“M-Mika—” Shu begins, voice quivering. He doesn’t want to stop, the urge to keep going, going, _going_ unrelenting. But as he finally opens his eyes again, a glance to the side alerts him to Mademoiselle staring at both of them.

Oh _shit._

He grips Mika’s waist firmly, bringing his movements to a halt. Although Mika lets out a whine in protest, they can’t go any further. Not here. “Mademoiselle’s still here. B-Bedroom.”

“A-Ah, yeah. Yeah, bedroom.” Mika lets out a breathy little sigh. He doesn’t want to stop, but sometimes small sacrifices need to be made to reap big rewards.

Rewards that will likely result in the two of them partially naked and tangled in the sheets of their shared bed together.

“Mademoiselle, I apologize but—you will need to remain here for the time being.” 

All she does is stare directly in front of her, a knowing smile permanently etched across her face.

Once they’ve pardoned themselves, Shu shifts Mika off of his lap. Both of them are frantic, in a hurry to continue where they’ve been more or less forced to leave off. Hand in hand, the shuffling of feet against the hardwood floor fills the absence of their competing breathy moans. Mademoiselle’s left alone in the living room, warm by the fire while Shu and Mika disappear into the bedroom.

Once behind closed doors, the light fades into darkness. 

* * *

Years pass, and time goes on and on without much change—as is the life of two near-immortals who more or less only have the other for company in the middle of the woods. 

It’s autumn again. Without fail, the leaves change color, painting the entire forest in beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow. The animals are busy preparing for the winter, just like Shu and Mika. Tending to their vegetable garden, getting the final harvest in before the snow falls, making sure enough heat seals are put up around their house so they don’t freeze to death—it’s all part of the routine they’ve created together. They’ve made these preparations so many times in years past that they’ve lost count.

But it doesn’t matter how they’ve lost count—numbers don’t matter when simply living together with the one you love is enough. There’s no need to keep track. It’ll always be the same.

… Is what Shu likes to think. 

“Do you trust me?” 

Without hesitation, Mika doesn’t even look up from the fire pit as he replies “ ‘Course I trust ya. Why’re ya askin’? Got somethin’ on yer mind?”

“No… nothing in particular prompted this, really. I was just wondering.” Shu rotates the skewer in his hands, the marshmallow at the end turning a delicious golden-brown on all sides. The combination of the sights, smells, and soon to be tastes encapsulates the spirit of the season. Picturesque, truly. 

Before them, the aroma of smoke and sweetness fills the air. Out behind the cottage, Shu and Mika decided to create a fire pit, gaining inspiration from the backyards of one of the local townspeople. It was Mika who wanted it, really. Always one to be drawn to bright, flickering lights and the feeling of warmth, it was a no-brainer for Mika to practically _beg_ Shu to put one behind the cottage. Now, many of their autumn nights are spent here by the fire. Going back to their already-established habit of spending time in the other’s company in front of a fire, this was almost no different. They were outside, sure, and it was a little chilly at night, but that only creates more of a reason for them to _maybe_ cuddle closely, Mika frequently sitting in Shu’s lap. 

“Ahh. Mmm, well. Yeah. Always have trusted ya. Always will. Yer important t’me.”

“You’re important to me too.” 

“I know. Ya tell me every day, yanno.” Mika jests playfully, pulling his skewer close to check on the status of his marshmallow. “D’ya think ‘s done yet?”

“I tell you every day because it’s true. There’s no use in keeping anything like that bottled up. I tell you everything, anyway. You already know that.” 

“But let me get a better look at it—hold on.” Shuffling closer to Mika’s location on the log, he focuses his attention on inspecting Mika’s, leaving the end of his own skewer still roasting over the fire.

“Hm. It looks a little underdone. It wouldn’t hurt to put it back over the fire for a little while longer. You want to have the edges _just right,_ you see. A perfect golden brown should dust the edges of it, making it warm but not burnt.” While Shu is in the midst of giving Mika a lecture about how to properly roast a marshmallow (like it’s _hard)_ , his marshmallow decided that it’s had enough of listening to him.

So, it sets itself on fire.

“Hey, Shu…”

“It’s ideal if the outside is toasted just enough where it’s not entirely soft, but the inside is melted. So then, when you eat it, it just melts in your mouth.”

“Shu.”

“But you don’t want it _too_ overdone, or else you won’t taste anything other than charcoal. At that point, you might as well go and eat a rock. It’s simply not edible at that stage.”

“Shu!”

“Mika, just _what—_ oh dear.”

Currently, Shu’s marshmallow is doing the exact opposite of what Shu spent two minutes explaining. It’s on fire. There is no “golden brown” color—it’s burnt to a crisp.

Quickly, he pulls the skewer closer to him and blows on it. The fire stops, but its charcoal state is irreversible. If only he was an alchemist—he’d be able to reverse this with no problem whatsoever. Unfortunately for Shu, his magical ability does not provide him with the ability to make food revert to it’s less burnt, more delicious state. 

“Hah! Mine’s a lil’ underdone, but yers is as black as me when ‘m a bird!” 

“Eugh. What a waste. I’ll have to make a new one.”

“Mmm, ‘s not a waste. Lemme eat it. Aaah~” Mika coos, opening his mouth wide. 

“Here.” Shu tosses it towards Mika, the somewhat inedible charcoal treat disintegrating in his mouth. “I’m not kissing you after eating that.” 

“Whaaa—? _Now_ you tell me that? After lettin’ me eat it? That’s misinformation right there! Yer cruel!”

“It’s expected, isn’t it? I expressed a strong dislike for it. So just because you went and ate it doesn’t mean I’ll _stop_ disliking it. It’s not complicated. It’s called _inference,_ Mika.” Shu replies with a “hmph.” “It’s not cruelty, it’s rationality.”

“Yeah? Huh, well, whatever! I’ll just… uhh… Go an’ uhh… Hold Madonee’s hand instead!”

“Mademoiselle’s not even here. Do you really think I would risk exposing her to smoke that’s so close? The wind is practically blowing it at us—how do you think _she’d_ feel?”

“Hmph. Fine. Maybe I just won’t kiss _ya!_ How’s that make ya feel?”

“What kind of a retort is that? I already said that _I’m_ not going to kiss _you_ after eating that wretched thing. You’re throwing my own threats back at me and they’re ineffective.”

Having lost the harmless “argument,” Mika opts to don a pouting face and stick his tongue out at Shu instead. Shu rolls his eyes. “How old are you, anyway?”

“Close ‘nuff t’bein’ as old as ya.”

“Fair.”

A comfortable silence washes over them as they sit next to each other on the log, knees almost touching. Crickets chirping in the woods around them and the crinkle of logs slowly burning fills the silence. 

Wordlessly, Mika reaches over and takes Shu’s hand in his, head tilting back to gaze up at the night sky. The sun’s nearly set, shades of orange and pink in the sky blending in with the colors of the autumn leaves around them.

“Hey, Shu.”

“Hm?”

“Can we stargaze tonight?”

“I don’t see why not. The roof again?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright.” 

Gently resetting their skewers against the log, they get up from their resting spot—hand in hand. Before making their way to the ladder on the side of the cottage, Shu leans over and places a gentle peck on Mika’s forehead.

“Ya said ya weren’t gonna kiss me!”

“It wasn’t even on the lips. Besides, I changed my mind.”

“Why?!”

“I couldn’t resist.”

*~*~*~*~*

Mika is Shu’s familiar.

He isn’t _supposed_ to be his soulmate.

But across the universe, defying all odds, he is.

*~*~*~*~*

Up on the rooftop, the only light nearby comes from the faint glow of the campfire in the darkness below and the light from the moon and stars above.

They’re on top of their cottage—the home that they’ve practically built for themselves together. 

“Why am I gettin’ the feelin’ that yer thinkin’ hard ‘bout somethin’?”

“Maybe I am.”

“Ya can always talk t’me, yanno.”

“I know.”

A light blush tints both of their cheeks. Maybe it’s from the chill in the air. Maybe it’s because they’re thinking about the other. Nevertheless, they’re both experiencing a mixture of feelings. Secure. Safe. Connected. Complete. At peace.

In love.

Here they are—two extraordinary beings being nothing more than ordinary. Basking in each other’s presence as the heat and light from the fire provides protection against the mysteries hiding in the night. 

Without taking his eyes off of the stars above, white specks illuminating the purple hues above, a question that’s been hanging over both of their heads for eternity is finally asked.

“Could you be happy here with me?”

“ ‘Be.’ Pfft. I _am_ happy ‘ere with ya.” Mika kicks his feet in the air, dangling off the edge of the roof, while hands splay back behind him, palms pressed against the cold wood. His eyes flick to Shu, trying to read his emotions. “Are ya happy ‘ere with me?”

“I can’t put how happy I am into words, so I’ll give you the simple answer,” Shu answers, head turning to meet Mika’s gaze, blue and gold eyes boring into him. “Yes.”

A quiet hum comes from Mika in response. 

“ ‘m happy we got to meet.” Reaching over and re-threading his fingers with Shu’s, Mika averts his gaze back towards the fire. “In this lifetime.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, yanno how there’s like a million stars above us?”

“Mhm.”

“Well, I always think of each one as a different possibility. Like, ya could be that one over there, ta the right. An’ I could be that one there, right next ta it on the left.” Extending his arm towards the sky, Mika points at the stars to accentuate his point. “So, we’re all stars. Up in the universe. Who knows where we’ll be in the future, yanno?”

“Well, I know.” Holding Mika’s hand in his, he gives a gentle squeeze. “I’ll be in the same place. Right next to you. Just as I am now.” 

“I know, I know. But like—the chances of those two stars up there bein’ right next t’each other’s prolly real low. They coulda been next to an infinite number of other stars in the galaxy, but… they’re next t’each other. Not anythin’ else. Just each other."

“So… ‘s like the same fer us, I think. We’re just one of all those clusters of stars. We coulda been on two opposite sides of the galaxy, never meetin’ each other. But… we did. Somehow, I got lucky ‘nuff to be yer familiar. T’meet ya. T’be with ya. In this lifetime.”

“Yeah. I understand what you’re trying to say.” Squeezing back, Shu smiles gently at Mika, looking at him while he’s still transfixed on the stars above. His two different colored eyes are without a doubt the most beautiful thing in the world. But right now, in this moment, with the light of star clusters overheard reflecting in them—there are galaxies in Mika’s eyes. They’re not just beautiful now. They’re breathtaking. 

And Shu’s the lucky witch who gets to see it firsthand. All for him. 

There’s no one else, after all. Just the two of them. As if by fate or destiny. They were bound to be here together, the way they are now. 

“Mika. You know, there’s something that I’ve been thinking about. For a long time, actually.”

“Nnnh? What is it? Ya don’t have t’hesitate when it comes t’me, yanno.”

“I know. But… I still can’t help but feel a little nervous.”

“Nervous? Now ya _really_ got my attention. What’s there t’be nervous ‘bout?”

Shutting his eyes, Shu takes in a deep breath. Psyching himself up for what he’s about to do.

Okay.

Reaching into his pocket, Shu’s hand fidgets with a metallic object, fingers running up and down and all over it, the metal cold compared to the warmth coming from his fingertips. 

“Mika, I—well, I want to be with you. Always. but… not _just_ as your witch. I want to be with you as your lover.”

Taking the object from his pocket, Shu pulls out a golden ring, a chain threaded through it like a necklace. With the aid of the moonlight spilling over the from above, Mika can see an engraving: the words “you are the light” written in cursive, surrounded by thorny stems with roses at the ends on either side. It’s incredibly detailed for such a small, fine, piece of jewelry. Someone spent a lot of time and effort in creating this. 

Offering the beautiful ring necklace towards Mika with a shaky hand, Shu takes a moment to clear his throat and compose himself once more.

“We’re not humans and we never will be. But perhaps… it’s possible for us to take this tradition for ourselves. You… you understand what this is, don’t you?”

Mika, looking at Shu with glossy eyes, tears threatening to spill at any moment, only nods in response. He knows exactly what this is and what Shu’s trying to say.

“We don’t need to take part in a ceremony if you don’t want to. We don’t even have to think about things like that right now. We have so much time, after all. All I ask is, do you— no, will you be with me, for the rest of our lives?”

At that question, the question Mika swears he’s been waiting hundreds and hundreds of years for, the tears begin to fall and they don’t stop, leaving wet streaks down his face and salty droplets onto the roof below. Overflowing waterfalls pour from his two-toned eyes as he brings a shaky hand up to his face, wiping them away and willing them to stop. Through broken sobs, he’s unable to say anything for a moment. Letting his emotions flow out and consume him, he’s eventually able to form a somewhat coherent sentence.

A sentence that will tie the red thread between them tightly, never able to come undone. for all of eternity.

“ ‘til death do us part, an’ even after that—yes.” Mika finally manages to choke out, gently reaching over and taking the golden ring necklace in his hands. 

At hearing this, Shu, too, can’t help the tears that begin to silently fall. Through a shaky exhale, Shu leaps to the stars, letting out the four words he’s known all along. 

“I love you, Mika.”

Though this is the first time Shu’s putting his feelings into words, it isn’t the first time he’s thought about it. For centuries, he’s silently loved Mika with everything he has. He loves Mika’s kind smile, the way he knows just how to comfort him when he’s feeling negative, his silly sense of humor, the adorable way he pouts, the sound of his laughter, the quirks that only pop out when he’s a crow—the list goes on for miles, but there’s only one thing at the top of it. 

Most of all, he loves Mika when he’s by his side. When they’re together.

Which means, now that they’ve vowed to be together for the rest of time, Mika will always be with him no matter what hardships or troubles may arise. They’ve got each other. 

Returning the same kind smile with an equal outpouring of love, Mika leans in, touching their foreheads together as tears continue to quietly slide down his cheeks.

“I love you too, Shu.” 

Unlike all of their other firsts, Mika’s heart isn’t racing. The familiar pounding in his heart and the sensation of butterflies going wild in his stomach are both absent. The physical experiences that accompany him every time they traverse uncharted territory are gone.

Because this time is different. There’s nothing unexpected, or something that surprises him. 

Mika loves Shu, too, and he’s known for just as long—if not longer. 

From the beginning, they’ve loved each other even if they didn’t know it was love at the time. After all, they met when they were kids—they hardly knew anything about the world, let alone love. But growing up together, they learned so much about the world, themselves, and what it means to be loved. 

Now, after all they’ve been through together, it’s finally time for those three words to be shared out loud. Just as they have, the feelings harbored within them from the other have only grown stronger over time. All of their centuries together have culminated in right now, the exact moment in time when they’re able to give voice to those emotions. 

Holding each other close with the stars dotting the night sky above, Mika leans up, eyes fluttering shut as he holds the ring necklace in one hand and cups Shu’s cheek with the other. Shu leans in, meeting Mika’s lips in a kiss.

It’s not nervous, shaky, and jittery like some of their first attempts. It’s not passionate, hard, and fast like they’ve done before in the comfort of their own cottage. No, this one is soft and tender. It’s relaxed—they’ve kissed before, for centuries before, knowing exactly what to expect. How the other’s lips will fit against theirs just like a puzzle piece, clicking to place without complaint. As if they were designed for each other, meant to be nowhere else but here—atop the roof of their shared home, the dazzling gleam of the stars raining down on them, their lips connected in a kiss.

Shu, eyes still tightly shut, reaches over and feels around for Mika’s free hand. Taking it in his, he feels the ring being enclosed between their palms as if they’re sealing their vows to each other.

Pulling back after a long, loving moment of being interconnected, they open their eyes. As if it’s the first time laying his eyes on Mika, Shu loses himself—amber and lapis lazuli captivating him, never letting him look away. Though it’s night, the warm glow from the moonlight bathes Mika’s face, highlighting the dusty rogue on his cheeks. Mika smiles softly as he gazes into Shu’s eyes, the same soft blush mirrored on his features as well. 

No words are needed, after all. This kiss tells them everything they need to know. They’re safe, they’re loved, they’re home. 

And no matter how many times they kiss, spend time together, or show how they love the other in their own unique way, nothing changes.

They’ve gone through so much together over the years.

Now, they’re static.

Never changing, their love is forever. 

Sticking together; witch and familiar, mage and crow. 

Shu and Mika.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dont even know where to start with this. thank you. from the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading this. 
> 
> this started off as a valktober entry for week 3. 3 weeks and nearly 40k words later, it's late, but it's done. i didn't expect it to be this long, i just wanted to write some one shots about witch shu and crow mika and now we have this. i LOVED creating this world so much. i love fantasy, magic, and supernatural things so of course i had to incorporate that with shumika... somehow. 
> 
> anyways I'm a romantic at heart and i cried at several points while writing this. they're in love and always will be no matter what!!! and im in love with love so. here is like 40k of shumika falling in love with each other over centuries and loving each other until the end of time (if you couldn't already tell, i am A SAP)
> 
> while writing this, i kept thinking of a whole lot of other ideas for stories that take place in this universe (if you were reading this and were like. Hey What Happened To _Them_ \-- certain things were intentionally left vague because i have ideas for more stories in this au)! stay tuned for reikoga, chiakana, oddballs, and more shumika supernatural shenanigans in the future! :) 
> 
> anyways it's time for me to stop monologing like shu itsuki i will shut up now. leave me a comment with your favorite part or maybe some things you'd like to see in a future fic/oneshot in this universe, who knows, maybe it'll show up. <3
> 
> if you like my content please consider supporting me!  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/sakradevi) | [my other works](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sakradevi/works) | [valkyrieP server](https://discord.gg/HFAyXUN) ☆彡


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